Melissa A. Wilson, APRN, Ph.D., R.N.

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SUMMARY

Melissa A. Wilson, APRN, Ph.D., R.N., focuses her research on two main areas: interventions for acute pain management through digital platforms and developing comprehensive resiliency tools for healthcare professionals to reduce moral distress and moral injury. Dr. Wilson has extensive experience conducting research in military and civilian settings.

Focus areas

• Acute pain management. Dr. Wilson's work focuses on acute pain, aiming to empower patients in their care to improve outcomes and the efficiency of care.
• Healthcare technology. Dr. Wilson's work includes the innovation and implementation of healthcare technologies tailored for military and civilian healthcare systems. These include digital platforms for patient-driven acute pain assessment and management and noise-immune stethoscope optimization for loud healthcare environments.
• Moral distress research. Dr. Wilson has conducted research focused on understanding and mitigating moral distress among healthcare professionals in civilian and military environments.
• Resiliency interventions. Dr. Wilson leads initiatives to develop and test interventions that enhance resilience among healthcare professionals, thereby reducing moral distress and moral injury.
• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in military healthcare. Dr. Wilson investigates the roles and impact of APRNs within the structure of military healthcare, promoting better integration and use of their skills.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Wilson's research helps improve patient care by creating new treatments and technologies for healthcare needs. Key focuses include helping patients manage pain and training healthcare professionals to be more resilient. Her work on moral distress and moral injury helps create supportive environments that improve healthcare workers' mental health and well-being, leading to better patient care and outcomes. Her work with acute pain gives patients more control over their acute pain experience. Her goal is to reduce pain to prevent long-term negative effects such as addiction, depression and anxiety related to pain.

Professional highlights

• American Academy of Nursing:
  • Member, 2022-present.
  • Fellow Induction Award, 2022.
• Alumni of the Year, Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, 2025.
• Chair, Department of Nursing, Wright State University, 2023-2024.
• Air Force Civilian Achievement Award, Air Force Research Laboratory, 2022.
• U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base:
  • Civilian Executive Officer, 2021-2023.
  • Commander's Cup Team Award, 2016, 2017.
  • Nurse Scientist Contractor, 2014-2017.
• Exemplary Civilian Service Medal, Department of the Air Force, 2019.
• Featured Scientist, University of Missouri Alumni Magazine, 2019.
• Certified Health Ethicist, University of Missouri, 2015.