Kathleen Thimsen

Associate Professor-in-Residence, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ School of Nursing
Expertise: Wound management, Forensic nursing, Elder abuse, Geriatric care

Biography

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ School of Nursing associate professor-in-residence Kathleen Thimsen has been a registered nurse for nearly five decades with two specialty areas: (1) wound, ostomy, and continence, as well as (2) forensic nursing. Her forensics work is directed to elder abuse, catastrophic wounding, fatalities, and human trafficking/forced organ harvesting. She also has expertise in the risk management and legal aspects of healthcare.

Thimsen has extensive global health experience, having worked in Columbia, Brazil, and Peru since 2005. She was the founder of Nurses2Peru, which served indigenous people on the Inca Trail. She joined 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in 2020, formerly serving as co-director and director, respectively, of the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Community Clinic and the Doctorate in Nursing Practice program.

She was one of the founding board members of the Academy of Forensic Nursing and the Forensic Nursing Certification Board, for which she currently serves as treasurer. Thimsen is also an inventor, possessing patents and trademarks for items aimed at tracking and guiding wound care treatment and the dispensing of medical supplies.

Education

  • BSN, Nursing, Webster University
  • MSN, Nursing, Webster University
  • Post-Master's Nursing Education, Johns Hopkins University
  • Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Regis University

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Kathleen Thimsen In The News

Pregnancy Help News
The Academy of Forensic Nursing (AFN) has partnered with Walking Wise to help youth and those who teach, coach or counsel them, better understand and prevent child sex trafficking.
Vital Views Podcast
Forensic nursing can help shed scientific light on areas like criminal activity, violence, and abuse. One form of human trafficking is forced organ harvesting, a medical practice making select people unwilling organ donors. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Associate Professor and forensic nurse Dr. Kathleen Thimsen explains where this commonly occurs, why it's challenging to stop, and how this act muddies the ethical waters of health care.

Articles Featuring Kathleen Thimsen

nurse in jacket with stethoscope in simulation center
People | March 1, 2021

Accompanying her pediatrician father on house calls helped shape nursing professor Kathleen Thimsen's career.