Clareen Wiencek, UVA School of Nursing

Clareen A Wiencek, RN, PhD, ACNP-BC, FAAN

Professor of Nursing
Department
Acute & Specialty Care
Office
McLeod 4007

Biography

An acute care nurse practitioner, an advanced certified hospice and palliative care nurse and a long time critical care nursing alumnus, Clareen Wiencek -- current past-president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the largest specialty nursing organization in the world -- has been an associate professor at UVA since 2015 where she directs the School's masters and DNP programs.

With a BSN from the University of Cincinnati and a masters (med-surg nursing) and PhD from Case Western Reserve University, Wiencek is a passionate advocate for teaching palliative care to nursing students at all levels. Before her arrival at UVA, she was nurse manager at the Thomas Palliative Care Unit at VCU Health System, program director at VCU's Center for Integrative Pain Management, and an NP at University Hospital's Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

Honors and Awards

  • President, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (2015-2017)
  • Nominee, Transformational Leadership, VCUHS Week of the Nurse (2013, 2014)
  • Recipient, Circle of Excellence Award, AACN (2010)
  • UHCMC APN Clinical Excellence Award (2010)
  • Robert Gallienne Excellence in Critical Care Award, UHCMC (2008)
  • Dissertation research grant, Midwest Nursing Research Society (2008)
  • Educational scholarship, AACN (2006)

Clinical Focus

Palliative care; hospice care; critical care nursing; end-of-life care; nursing leadership; pain management.

Publications

Journal Articles

Wright, Q. C., Wiencek, C. A., & Williams, I. C. (2024). Utilizing a tailored approach to standardized screening of health-related social needs. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 39(2), 114-120.

Kaylor, H., Wiencek, C., & Hundt, E. A. (2022). Targeted temperature management: A program evaluation. AACN Advanced Critical Care Nurse, 33(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2022398

Rosa, W. E., Ferrell, B. R., & Wiencek, C. (2020). Increasing critical care nurse engagement of palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical Care Nurse, 40(6), e28-36. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2020946

Kleinpell, R., Sessler, C., Wiencek, C., & Moss, M. (2019). Choosing Wisely in critical care: Results of a national survey from the Critical Care Societies Collaborative. Critical Care Medicine, 47, 331-336. https://doi.org/10.1097/ccm.0000000000003496

Wiencek, C., Kleinpell, R., Moss, M., & Sessler, C. (2019). Choosing Wisely in critical care: A national survey of critical care nurses. American Journal of Critical Care, 28, 434-440. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2019241

Ohtake, P., Lee, A., Scott, J., Hinman, R., Ali, N., Hinkson, C. Needham, D. Shutter, L., Smith-Gabai, H., Spires, M., Thiele, A., Wiencek, C., & Smith, M. (2018). Physical impairments associated with Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: Systematic review based on the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework. Physical Therapy, 98, 631-645.

Anderson, B., Song, M., Wiencek, C., Nevidjon, B., Fraser, D. & Mazanec, P. (2018). Nurses leading change and transforming care: The nurse’s role in communication and advance care planning. Journal Of Hospice And Palliative Nursing, 20, 23-29.

Wiencek, C., Lavandero, R., & Berlinger, N. (2016). From the team to the table: Nursing societies and health care organizational ethics. Hastings Center Report, 46, 32-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.629

White, K., Roczen, M., Coyne, P., & Wiencek, C. (2014). Acute and critical care nurses' perceptions of palliative care competencies: A pilot study. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(6), 265-277.

Wiencek, C., & Coyne, P. (2014). Palliative care delivery models. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 30(1), 227-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2014.08.004

Grant, M., Wiencek, C., Virani, R. et al (2013). End-of-life education in acute and criticalcare: The California ELNEC Project. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 24, 121-129.

Gutgsell, K., Schlucher, M., Margevicius, S. DeGolia, P., McLaughlin, B., Harris, M., Mecklenburg, J., & Wiencek, C. (2013). Music therapy reduces pain in palliative care patients: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 45, 822-831.

Wiencek, C. & Webster, L. (2012). Preparing for sudden cardiac death following implantable cardioverter-defibrillator deactivation: Case study analysis. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 14, 478-483.

Brennan, C., Prince-Paul, M., & Wiencek, C. (2011). Providing a “good death” for oncology patients during the final hours of life in the Intensive Care Unit. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 22, 379-396.

Wiencek, C., Ferrell, B. & Jackson, M. (2011). The meaning of our work: Caring for the critically ill patient with cancer. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 22, 397-407.

Anthony, K., Wiencek, C., Bauer, C., Daly, B., & Anthony, M. (2010). No interruptions please: Impact of a no interruption zone on medication safety in intensive care units. Critical Care Nurse, 30, 21-29.

Daly, B, Douglas, S., Wiencek, C. (2010). Effectiveness trial of an intensive communication structure for families of long-stay ICU patients. Chest, 138, 1340-48.

Wiencek, C. & Winkelman, C. (2010). Chronic critical illness: Prevalence, profile, and pathophysiology. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 21, 44-61.

Madigan, E., Wiencek, C., & VanderSchrier, A. (2009). Patterns of community-based end-of-life care in rural areas of the United States. Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice, 10:71-81.

Roberts, W., Alspach, J., Canobbio, M., Christoph, S., Kuhn, R., Turzan, L., & Wiencek, C. (1986). Critical care nursing education: an overview. Heart and Lung, 15, 115-126.

Book Sections

Wiencek, C., & Wolf, A. (2019). The advanced practice registered nurse. In B. R. Ferrell & J. Paice (Eds.), Oxford textbook of palliative nursing (pp. 809-816). Oxford University Press.

Wiencek, C. (2016). Palliative care in the intensive care unit setting. In C. Dahlin, P. Coyne, & B. Ferrell (Eds.), Advanced practice palliative nursing (pp. 65-73). Oxford University Press.

Wiencek, C. (2015). The advanced practice registered nurse. In B. R. Ferrell, N. Coyle, & J. Paice (Eds.), Oxford textbook of palliative nursing (4th ed.) (pp. 961-968). Oxford University Press.

Columns, Editorials and Op-Eds

Wiencek, C. (2019, November 25). Table talk to preserve hope: Column. Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved from https://www.richmond.com/.

Wiencek, C. (2017, June). Our voices are powerful -- and they matter [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/6/BV%206_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2017, May). Indomitable nurses shake the world [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/5/BV%205_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2017, April). Turning workaround into goals [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/4/BV%204_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2017, March). Bringing certification into focus [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/3/BV%203_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2017, February). The whole is greater than the sum of its parts [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/2/BV%202_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2017, January). A transformative year [Column]. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/9/1/BV%201_17.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, December). Walk a mile in my shoes. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/12/BV%2012_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, November). A new vital sign. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/11/BV%2011_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, October). Speaking up about what matters. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/10/BV%2010_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, September). What does and doesn’t matter. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/9/BV%209_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, August). The greatest innovation.. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/8/BV%208_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C. (2016, July). It matters. Bold Voices. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/journalassets/Bold%20Voices/8/7/BV%207_16.pdf.

Wiencek, C., & Fontaine, D. (2016, May 2). Defying a death-defying culture [Column]. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clareen-wiencek/defying-a-deathdefying-cu_b_9799596.html.

Presentations

  • 1-30-16 - Palliative pharmacotherapy for every APRN, NP Pharmfest 2016 (Charlottesville, VA)
  • 11-20-15 - WOW session: Association activities of great impact, Nursing Organizations Alliance 2015 fall summit (Palm Springs, CA)
  • 11-10-15 - Leadership: Building resilience in self and others, 2015 Critical Care Symposium, Greater Portland Chapter, AACN (Portland, OR)
  • 11-10-15 - Critical care & palliative care: The history & the evidence, 2015 Critical Care Symposium, Greater Portland Chapter, AACN (Portland, OR)
  • 10-31-15 - Helping patients live better with their disease, 18th Eastern Regional Conference, Philippine Nurses' Association of America (Richmond, VA)
  • 9-27-15 - Focus the Flame, Dynamics 2015 Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)     
  • 9-14-15 - Courageous care, University of Rochester Medical Center, Critical Care Conference (Rochester, NY)