UMSN Associate Dean Honored with 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Iowa

Dr. Marita Titler will be recognized for her achievements in science and health care.

“I’m both honored and thrilled to be able to represent nursing at the big table,” says Marita G. Titler, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) associate dean, professor and Rhetaugh G. Dumas Endowed Chair. “I think it is important for nursing to have this presence.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement 2013 is the University of Iowa (UI) Alumni Association’s highest honor; it draws from graduates of all programs, including science, engineering, and business. Dr. Titler was selected for her internationally recognized contributions to nursing research, especially related to implementation and health delivery science in patient care. The ceremony will be held in June.

Dr. Titler received her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. She held several prestigious positions before joining UMSN in 2009 including:

• Senior Assistant Director, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City
• Director of Research, Quality and Outcomes Management; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Director, Research Translation and Dissemination Core, Gerontological Nursing Intervention Research Center, College of Nursing, University of Iowa
• Director, Institute of Translational Practice, Center for Research in the Implementation of Innovative Strategies in Practice (CRIISP), Department of Veterans Affairs, Iowa City

“It is difficult to fully capture Dr. Titler’s impact on health care by a simple count of her many peer-reviewed grants, publications, and awards,” said UMSN Dean Kathleen Potempa in her letter of support for Dr. Titler. “Although these are numerous and extensive, Marita Titler’s impact becomes profound with a thorough read of her work and in discussion with many nurses and other providers who have utilize her work in their practice.”

One of Dr. Titler’s most significant research contributions led to changes in intensive care units (ICUs). “It broke the myth or tradition of family being excluded from adult ICUs, including children and grandchildren,” says Dr. Titler. “I did a series of studies and papers that helped changed that. We still have areas that limit families in the ICUs, some for very good reasons, but I was particularly proud about that work.”

Dr. Titler has garnered more than $170 million in support for her research, and she says one of her most memorable funding awards was one of the first “translating researching into practice” grants from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “It was a big R01 so I could really test an implementation intervention to improve acute pain management in older adults,” says Dr. Titler.

Dr. Titler is also dedicated to guiding the next generation of nursing leaders. “With health care reform, nursing leaders and nurse scientists need to be on the forefront of working with others to revolutionize the health care system,” she says. “We need bright, talented students who are willing to think big and take risks.” Dr. Titler encourages students to surround themselves with successful mentors and to not delay in pursuing higher degrees.

“It’s a very exciting time for nursing,” she says. “Students who are interested in a career with multiple pathways to discovery and excellence should really pick nursing. The career opportunities, especially in research, are growing.”

While the Distinguished Alumni Award is about recognizing prior achievements, Dr. Titler remains focused on the future. Her current research is investigating ways to use implementation science to help practitioners better align their practice with the latest research findings to improve patient outcomes.

“Nurse scientists can analyze and address very critical questions about what effects nursing treatments have on outcomes such as readmissions, length of stay, and cost,” says Dr. Titler. “We can go beyond the typical questions that have been traditionally asked to better understand how interventions, singly or in combination, improve health and healthcare in the real world.”