Anne Chevalier McKechnie, PhD, RN

Anne Chevalier McKechnie, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Her research is focused on supporting mothers and fathers following the diagnosis of a fetal anomaly. As a nurse, she wants to see outcomes. Her research draws on what expectant parents need to better prepare for and deal with unanticipated, life-threatening conditions such as complex congenital heart disease (CCHD). Dr. McKechnie is developing an app to provide help to the parents of the estimated 40,000 infants born each year with CCHD, as well as their providers. Dr. Mehcnie says there are a lot of good ideas in nursing research and nursing science, and this structure could help bring those to practice and help a lot more people.

University of Minnesota

• Daisy Award, Scholarship in Teaching and Practice, School of Nursing, 2019

• International Family Nursing Association
• Midwestern Nursing Research Society

• Center Memberships:
  Center for Child and Family Health Promotion Research 
  Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Research area includes: Understanding the needs of families who continue pregnancies after fetal diagnoses, are preparing for and adapting to the care required for their children with special health care needs; Developing and testing family-centered interventions to enhance strengths and reduce risks for parents and their children with special health care needs during an early, formative time.

Statement of Advising Philosophy

Funded Research:

Title of Project:  Preparing Heart and MindTM: A Patient Engagement Pathway for Parents and Healthcare Providers After a Major Fetal Anomaly Diagnosis 
Funding Agency: University of Minnesota Masonic Cross-Departmental Grant in Children’s Health Research 
Principal Investigator: McKechnie
Project Dates: 2019-2020

Title of Project:  Preparing Heart and MindTM: A Patient Engagement Pathway for Parents and Healthcare Providers After a Major Fetal Anomaly Diagnosis
Funding Agency: University of Minnesota School of Nursing Foundation Grant
Principal Investigator: McKechnie
Project Dates: 2018-2019

Title of Project: Communication About Needs and Diagnostic Information of Relevance for expectant parents after fetal anomaly diagnosis: Developing the CANDIR assessment for research and clinical use
Funding Agency: Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Alpha Chapter. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Project Dates: 2014

Title of Project: Parenting a child born with a structural anomaly: A follow up study
Funding Agency: National Institute of Nursing Research, T32 NR007091-18, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Project Dates: 2013-2015

Title of Project: Becoming a parent after a prenatal diagnosis
Funding Agency: National Institute of Nursing Research, F31NR011563-01A1 and Eckburg Scholarship. University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing
Role: Predoctoral Fellow
Project Dates: 2011-2013

Title of Project: Parenting after congenital heart defect diagnosis
Funding Agency: American Nurses Foundation and the Nurse Alumni Organization, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Role: Predoctoral Student Investigator
Project Dates: 2008-2010

Selected Publications:

• Horning ML, Schneider R, Beacham B, et al. Appreciation of the Research-Practice Link: Authentic Learning Environments for Writing-Intensive Nursing Courses. Nursing Education Perspectives. 2019 Sep DOI: 10.1097/01.nep.0000000000000568.
• McKechnie, A. C., Waldrop, J., Matsuda, Y., Martinez, M., Fields, C., Baker, M., Beeber, L. (2018). Mothers’ perspectives on managing the developmental delay of a child with considerations for contextual influences and maternal functioning. Journal of Family Nursing. 24(3), 405-442. doi:10.1177/1074840718780474
• McKechnie, A. C., Rogstad, J., Martin, K., & Pridham, K. F. (2018). An exploration of co-parenting in the context of caring for a child prenatally diagnosed and born with a complex health condition. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 74(2), 350–363. doi: 10.1111/jan.13415
• McKechnie, A. C., & Lamberg-Jones, E. (2018). Preparing for the birth of an infant with a congenital or genetic condition. In K. F. Pridham, R. Limbo, & M. Schroeder (Eds.), Guided participation in pediatric nursing practice: Relationship-based teaching and learning with parents, children, and adolescents (pp. 35-52). New York, NY: Springer.
• Leuthner, S., & McKechnie, A. C. (2018). A neonatologist’s guided participation with parents of an infant with trisomy 18. In K. F. Pridham, R. Limbo, & M. Schroeder (Eds.), Guided participation in pediatric nursing practice: Relationship-based teaching and learning with parents, children, and adolescents (pp. 341-354). New York, NY: Springer.
• Tanem, J., & McKechnie, A. C. (2018). A mobile application as a tool for guided participation. In K. F. Pridham, R. Limbo, & M. Schroeder (Eds.), Guided participation in pediatric nursing practice: Relationship-based teaching and learning with parents, children, and adolescents (pp. 355-370). New York, NY: Springer. Software Development 
• McKechnie, A. C., (2018) Intellectual Property Title: Preparing Heart and MindTM v. 2.0; University of Minnesota Office of Technology and Commercialization Case Number: 20180225. Description: This intellectual property includes content on paper, software code for an early app prototype, and the content and software code/digital files designed for a GetWellNetwork Custom Pathway (Getwellnetwork is a third part company that develops, markets, and sells patient engagement software)
• Pridham, K. F., Harrison, T., McKechnie, A. C., Krolikowski, M. & Brown, R. (2018). Motivations and features of co-parenting an infant with complex congenital heart disease. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 40(8), 1110-1130. doi:10.1177/0193945917712693
• Pridham, K. F., Harrison, T., McKechnie, A. C., Krolikowski, M. & Brown, R. (In Review). Co-Parenting Qualities and Motivations for Caring for an Infant with Complex Congenital Heart Disease: Change from 1 to 12 Months.
• McKechnie, A. C., Pridham, K., & Tluczek, A. (In Press). Walking the “emotional tightrope” from pregnancy to parenthood: Understanding parental motivation to manage health care and distress after fetal diagnosis of congenital heart disease. Journal of Family Nursing.
• Tluczek, A., Clark, R., McKechnie, A. C., & Brown, R. (2015). Factors affecting parent-child relationships one year after positive newborn screening for cystic fibrosis or congenital hypothyroidism. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 36(1), 24-34. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000112
• McKechnie, A. C., Tluczek, A., & Pridham, K. (2014). Preparing heart and mind for becoming a parent following a diagnosis of fetal anomaly. Qualitative Health Research. doi:10.1177/1049732314553852
• McKechnie, A. C., & Pridham, K. (2012). Preparing heart and mind following prenatal diagnosis of complex congenital heart defect. Qualitative Health Research, 22, 1694-1706. doi:10.1177/1049732312458371
• Tluczek, A., McKechnie, A. C., & Brown, R. (2011). Factors associated with parental perception of child vulnerability 12 months after abnormal newborn screening results. Research in Nursing and Health, 34, 389-400. doi:10.1002/nur.20452
• McKechnie, A. C., & Eglash, A. (2010). Nipple shield use: A review. Breastfeeding Medicine, 5, 309-314. doi:10.1089/bfm.2010.0003
• Tluczek, A., McKechnie, A. C., & Lynam, P. A. (2010). When the cystic fibrosis label does not fit: a modified uncertainty theory. Qualitative Health Research, 20, 209-223. doi:10.1177/1049732309356285
• Tluczek, A., Clark, R., McKechnie, A. C., & Brown, R. (2010). Task-oriented and bottle feeding adversely affect the quality of mother-infant interactions after abnormal newborn screens. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 31, 414-426. doi:10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181dd5049
• Eglash, A., Ziemer, A. L. & McKechnie, A. C. (2010). Health professionals' attitudes and use of nipple shields for breastfeeding women. Breastfeeding Medicine, 5, 147-51. doi:10.1089/bfm.2010.0006
• McKechnie, A. C., Tluczek, A., & Henriques, J. B. (2009). Maternal variables influencing duration of breastfeeding among low-income mothers. ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition, 1, 126-132. doi:10.1177/1941406409334379

Dissertation

• McKechnie, A. C. (2013). Becoming a parent after a prenatal diagnosis: A model of preparing heart and mind within the caregiving system (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3588387)