Rate My Professor Arin Van Wormer

Arin Van Wormer, Ph.D., RN, ACNS, is a Professor in the Department of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she joined the faculty in 2010. She currently directs the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN) program, appointed to this role in May 2018 following the retirement of Dr. Rita Sperstad. Van Wormer previously served as co-chair of the Department of Nursing from June 2023 alongside Lisa Schiller and Rachel Merkel until the Spring 2025 semester. In her leadership positions, she led initiatives to adapt clinical education amid challenges, including the January 2024 closure of HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, by establishing new and expanded clinical experiences for students in both traditional and graduate nursing programs. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the University-Wide Faculty Complaint, Grievance & Termination Review Committee, with her term through 2026.

Van Wormer obtained her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Minnesota in 2010, concurrently earning a Post-Master’s Certificate as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She completed an M.S. in Nursing Education, with a minor in Educational Psychology, at the University of Minnesota in 2007, and a B.S. in Nursing from Winona State University. Her research specializations include adult health, acute care, palliative and end-of-life care, alternative and complementary therapies, and nursing education. In 2022, she presented “COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Student Attitudes (COVaCSA)” at the Midwest Nursing Research Society conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. Her peer-reviewed publications feature “Determinants of Complementary Therapy Use among Hospitalized Adults with Cancer Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study” (2024, co-authored with Kelly Buchholtz and Jeffrey J. VanWormer); “A new academic-practice partnership in a rural healthcare setting” (2025, with Charlotte Sortedahl); “Oral hygiene, quality of life, and risk of heart failure” (2025); “Race, Rurality, and Suicidality in Children and Adolescents” (2023); “Using Lesson Study to Integrate Information Literacy Throughout the Nursing Curriculum” (2013); and “A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Health and Quality of Life Outcomes of Traditional vs. Home Telehealth Postdischarge Interventions” (2013). These works demonstrate her contributions to clinical research, educational partnerships, and interdisciplinary efforts advancing nursing practice and student preparation.