Heather Shirk

Background

About Heather Shirk

I am a clinical informatics nurse, educator, and researcher dedicated to transforming clinical practice through evidence-based innovation and meaningful use of health information technology. With a career spanning clinical leadership, academic instruction, and health system-wide informatics initiatives, I’m passionate about advancing nursing efficiency, safety, and data-driven decision-making.My expertise bridges nursing practice, clinical informatics, and nursing research. I specialize in workflow analysis, clinical decision support, Epic optimization, and the operationalization of nursing value. I am deeply committed to designing data-informed solutions that elevate clinician experience, improve patient outcomes, and support organizational performance. In both practice and teaching, I focus on empowering nurses to use technology as a strategic partner in care delivery.Throughout my career, I’ve contributed to publications, presented at national conferences, and collaborated on multi-site research initiatives. Highlights include publishing the first medical-surgical validation study of the DASA-IV in the Western Journal of Nursing Research; and earning Widener University’s Dean’s Award for Excellence for my PhD work examining Clinical Nurses’ Perceptions of Interruptive Decision Support Alerts.I’m excited to continue advancing nursing informatics, generating meaningful research, and shaping the next generation of evidence-based, technology-enabled nursing practice. I welcome opportunities to collaborate on research, contribute to professional initiatives, or support organizations seeking to maximize the value of nursing and clinical data.If you’re interested in partnering on informatics projects, research initiatives, or academic engagement, I’d love to connect.