Having garnered numerous years of experience as an acclaimed educator, Halina Zawadzki Wyss, PhD, serves as a clinical documentation integrity specialist at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and as an assistant professor at the University of Portland School of Nursing. In her role with OHSU, she oversees real time chart reviews of patients admitted to the hospital, follows them through their hospital stay, and gives clarification to providers in order to accurately help capture the severity of patient illness and the risk of mortality. Although she began a doctoral degree with the intent to move into research, she soon developed an abiding passion for teaching. As an assistant professor, Dr. Wyss teaches a variety of classes, including pharmacotherapeutics for nursing and advanced medical/surgical nursing.
Prior to obtaining her current positions, Dr. Wyss worked as a clinical documentation specialist nurse for Providence Health and Services from 2011 until 2016, an assistant nurse manager for Providence Milwaukee Hospital between 2008 and 2011, and as a staff registered nurse in the cardiac unit at Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center from 2002 until 2007. In the earliest years of her career, she also gained valuable expertise in research as an assistant with Oregon Medical Laser Center and Providence Health and Services. Over the years, she has also excelled in varying educational positions with Clark College and Oregon Health and Science University. In a career suffused with highlights, Dr. Wyss is especially proud to have had one of her papers accepted for an international presentation in Paris.
Certified through the American Heart Association, Dr. Wyss holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Lewis and Clark College, which she earned in 1993. Following this achievement, she received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Portland in 2002 and 2004, respectively, as well as a PhD in nursing science from the University of Washington in 2013. In order to remain aware of changes in an ever-evolving field, she retains her professional alignment with the Academic Network for Mental Health at the University of Portland, where she also sits as the undergraduate curriculum committee chair. In previous years, Dr. Wyss maintained connections with the National League of Nursing, the academic task force of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, and the American Association of Colleges for Nurses. In her civic pursuits, she also serves as a green dot faculty member at the University of Portland.
Backed by her considerable knowledge, Dr. Wyss has contributed to a plethora of publications, including “Biocompatability of a xenogenic elastin-based biomaterial in a murine implantation model: The role of aluminum chloride pretreatment,” which was featured in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, and “Using Adult Attachment Theory to Improve Communication for Families in the ICU,” which was presented at Western Institute of Nursing’s 47th Annual Communication Nursing Research Conferences in 2014. Due to her outstanding achievements, she was recognized with numerous scholarships and grants, such as the Army Nurse Corps Association Scholarship and the biobehavioral traineeship grant through the University of Washington’s School of Nursing. In the near future, Dr. Wyss intends to continue teaching and conducting research with her students. Eventually, she aims to obtain the role of tenured professor.
