Clinical Instructor
Clinical Liaison (HRSA NEPQR Grant)
Nurse Consultant, Full Life Care
Tamara Cyhan Cunitz is an accomplished nurse educator and dedicated community health nursing professional with over 20 years of clinical experience working in health care settings and community agencies to improve health outcomes for individuals, groups and populations. Her clinical work focuses on decreasing barriers to care related to social determinants of health. Her areas of expertise include chronic disease management, care coordination and transition management and supporting the health of community dwelling vulnerable adults.
Tamara earned a BA in Psychology and Russian language studies from Catholic University in 1994. She then went on to attend Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies and earned her ABSN in 1997. Before going on to graduate school, she worked at the bedside in acute and intensive care, was involved in clinical research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and worked as an intern for the American Nurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights. Tamara then went on to earn her master’s degree in Community Health Nursing with a cross-cultural focus at UWSON in 2007. Since then she has held positions as an RN Care Coordinator for the City of Seattle, Nurse Consultant for Full Life Care and Clinical Education Specialist at Virginia Mason Medical Center, where she became Adjunct Faculty for the BSN/ABSN program at UWSON in 2011. Following her graduate studies, Tamara has focused her clinical work toward community dwelling vulnerable adults with chronic care needs, both sheltered and unsheltered and Ukrainian and Russian immigrant health issues.
Education
- Catholic University of America, BA Psychology and Russian Language Studies
- Georgetown University, BSN Nursing
- University of Washington, MN Community Health Nursing, Cross-Cultural Focus
Awards and accolades
- Adult Day Health Advisory Board Member Full Life Care since 2018
- Featured as UW Faculty Partner in Full Life Care annual media outreach video “What Matters Most” 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq0iNfiN_IY
- Member AAACN
- Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society – Tau Chapter
- Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society
- Psi Chi Honor Society
What classes do you teach?
NCLIN 409: Population Health Through Community Health Nursing Partnerships
NCLIN 411: Senior Practicum: Community and Population Health
NURS 452: Care Coordination and Transition Management (new curriculum)
What do you love about the UW School of Nursing?
I absolutely love my opportunity to interact and mentor nursing students because they are eternally teaching me something new. I also love collaborating with an amazing group of faculty and staff with diverse expertise.
Department
Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing
Research Areas
- Health Equity
Research Centers
- de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging
- Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education
Publications
Cyhan-Cunitz, T. (2020). Cardiac Function- Chapter 26. In R. Craven, C. Hirnle and S. Jensen (Eds)., Fundamentals of Nursing: Human Health and Function (9h ed. pp. 803-846). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (*pending publication)
Cyhan-Cunitz, T. (2016). Cardiac Function- Chapter 26. In R. Craven, C. Hirnle and S. Jensen (Eds)., Fundamentals of Nursing: Human Health and Function (8th ed. 803-846). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Cyhan-Cunitz, T. (2012). Cardiac Function- Chapter 26. In R. Craven, C. Hirnle and S. Jensen (Eds)., Fundamentals of Nursing: Human Health and Function (7th ed. pp. 803-846). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
