University of Minnesota School of Nursing
5-140 Weaver-Densford Hall
308 Harvard Street
Minneapolis MNUSA
55455
Email: bliss@umn.edu
Biographical Sketch: Donna Zimmaro Bliss is a Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in Minneapolis, MN. She is a Horace. T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Distinguished Teacher. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Bliss is the current Director of the Center for Clinical Investigation of the WOCN Society and section editor of the Spotlight on Research section of Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing. She participates in numerous activities of the WOCN Society. She is also a member of the Editorial Board of Nursing Research and the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. She is the nurse member of the Educational Committee of the International Continence Society.
Dr. Bliss research focuses on incontinence and incontinence associated dermatitis. She recently completed a clinical trial investigating the effect of dietary fiber to reduce fecal incontinence. She is currently funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research for 2 studies: one will determine whether there are ethnic and racial disparities in incontinence and skin damage in nursing home residents and the factors associated with those disparities and the second is to identify the literacy and care needs of family/friend caregivers of individuals with dementia related to incontinence and skin damage management. She is currently participating in a systematic review of C. difficile infection. She co-developed an instrument to identify incontinence associated dermatitis. She has numerous publications about these topics and has made presentations globally. Dr. Bliss’ research has been supported by federal, foundation and corporate grants.