معرفی
Heather Nielsen serves as an Instructor of Nursing at Augsburg University's Department of Nursing since 2024, teaching in the Master of Arts in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. A graduate of Augsburg's DNP-FNP program (2018), she balances academia with clinical practice as a bilingual primary care provider in Rochester, MN, managing a panel of 1500+ patients and advocating for marginalized communities.
Her educational credentials include:
- Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP-FNP), Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN (2018)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (2007)
Dr. Nielsen's scholarly focus centers on transcultural nursing and global health equity. She designs courses exploring healthcare politics in Guatemala and soul trauma healing through traditional practices, blending evidence-based and Indigenous knowledge. Her fieldwork in Guatemala's rural highlands with International Hands in Service spans four years, recently culminating in a Women's Health Team initiative for cervical cancer screening.
Her publications (2012-2018) reveal consistent engagement with community-driven healthcare solutions, examining topics from water's role in peacebuilding to decolonizing short-term missions. Key threads include amplifying Indigenous voices via photo-elicitation and addressing women's health disparities in resource-limited settings.
A dedicated mentor, Nielsen guides students through DNP projects and international practicums. In clinical leadership, she chairs Rochester's Clinical Practice Committee and represents APRNs on the Advanced Practice Clinician team, while maintaining ties to Guatemalan health initiatives through committee consultancy.
She actively participates in professional organizations including the Association of Southeastern Minnesota Nurse Practitioners and Minnesota APRN Coalition, advocating for practice barrier removal and smooth nurse transitions to clinical roles.
