Rate My Professor Sonja Meiers

Sonja Jean Meiers, Ph.D., AGCNS-BC, FAAN, is the Jane W. and James E. Moore Nursing Research Professor in the Department of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (2002), an M.S. from Winona State University (1995), a B.S. from the College of St. Teresa (1981), a Diploma from Lutheran Deaconess School of Nursing (1977), and a Graduate Certificate (AGCNS) from Winona State University (2020). Her distinguished career includes serving as Inaugural Chair, Department of Graduate Nursing, and Professor at Winona State University (2020-2022), Director of Graduate Programs in Nursing and Professor at Winona State University (2009-2022), and multiple professorial positions at Minnesota State University, Mankato, from Assistant Professor (1995-2002) to Professor (2007-2009). At UW-Eau Claire since 2022, she also served as Professor and Acting Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (2022-2023). Earlier clinical appointments encompass Pediatric Staff Nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, MN (1978-1982), Licensed School Nurse at Pine Island Public Schools (1982-1986), and Independent Home Care Nurse (1986-1989).

Dr. Meiers specializes in family theory and research, research methods, nursing theory development, evidence-based practice methods, family nursing, family health, caregivers, children and families in the context of substance use disorder, nurse-family interaction, caring in the family health experience, community-based participatory research, measure development, and international collaboration. Her contributions have been recognized with awards including Fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing (2020), American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Leaders in Academic Nursing Fellowship (2020-2021), Midwest Nursing Research Society Abstract Award (2024), University of Wisconsin System Research Development Grant Writing Academy Fellow (2023-2024), Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Faculty Research Forum (2024), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Association of Colleges of Nursing Innovations in Graduate Population Health Curriculum Award (2016). Key publications feature "Nursing strategies to mitigate separation between hospitalized acute and critical care patients and families: A scoping review" (Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 2024), "Enhancement of preoperative mental health assessment through clinical nurse specialist project leadership" (Clinical Nurse Specialist, 2024), "Pediatric end-of-life simulation workshop to clinical care: Lasting implications on clinical practice" (Palliative Medicine Reports, 2024), "Measuring family members’ experiences of integrating chronic illness into family life: Preliminary validity and reliability of the Family Integration Experience Scale: Chronic Illness (FIES:CI)" (Journal of Family Nursing, 2020), and "Supporting children and kinship caregivers in the context of substance use disorder: Perspectives of key professionals" (Journal of Family Issues, 2021). She provided presidential leadership for the International Family Nursing Association (2019-2021).