Chris Fortney

Image

First Name

Chris

Last Name

Fortney

Credentials

PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN

Associate Professor

Director, Undergraduate Honors Program

fortney.19@osu.edu

614-292-8341

she/her/hers

Address

200E Heminger Hall

Address (Line 2)

1577 Neil Avenue

City

Columbus

State

Zip Code

43210

Research Interests

Dr. Chris Fortney's research focuses on the experiences of critically ill infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and their families. Dr. Fortney uses descriptive data, behavioral observations, qualitative interviews, and prospective, longitudinal designs to investigate infant symptoms and suffering trajectories, and their effect on parent satisfaction, decision-making, distress and coping, and changes in care goals. Notably, she uncovered challenges in assessing and managing symptoms for NICU infants with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. She developed a framework to assess the quality of the neonatal death experience and published pioneering patient-reported symptom data in this population. She has also explored nurse distress when caring for critically ill infants and collaborated with a bilingual community advisory board to transcreate research materials from English to Spanish. Currently, Dr. Fortney is investigating the impact of social determinants of health on nurse-parent communication regarding infant symptom assessment and management. She received her master’s and doctorate in Nursing from The Ohio State University and completed the Pediatric Patient-Centered Outcomes (PC-Prep) postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

View publications

Podcasts: Fortney CA. (Advances in Neonatal Care Guest Editor and Assistant Professor). (2020, March 2) NANNcast – Understanding Palliative Care. [Audio podcast]. https://nannast/podbean.com

Chapters

Fortney CA & Ulloa JA. Palliative care for infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In Respiratory Symptoms, What Do I Do Now: Palliative Care series (ed. Margaret L. Campbell) (2023). United States: Oxford University Press, Incorporated.
Gerhardt, C.A., Baughcum, A. E., Fortney, C., & Lichtenthal, W. Chapter 15, Palliative Care, End of Life, and Bereavement, Handbook of Pediatric Psychology (5th Edition), 2016.

Recent Research Activities

The Ohio State University College of Nursing Stress Science Lab Seed Grant.
Project Period: 1/2024 – 12/2024.
A Pilot Study of Parent-Nurse Relationships and Communication About Infant Symptoms in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Christine Fortney (PI)
Integrating Special Populations Grant, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Ohio State University.
Under Award Number UL1TR002733 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Project Period: 6/1/2021-5/31/22
NICU Views of Infant Care Experiences and Symptoms (VOICES): A Feasibility Study of Spanish-Translated Study Measures
Christine Fortney (PI)
Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research (LRP-PR), National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research
Project Period: 9/13/2018- 11/30/2020
Infant symptoms in the NICU: Impact on parent decision-making, coping, and distress.
Grant/Contract Number: 1L40NR018053-01
Christine Fortney (PI)
The Ohio State University College of Nursing Stress Science Lab Seed Grant.
Project Period: 12/2017 – 12/2018.
Mixed Methods Assessment of Family Stress and Psychosocial Risk in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Christine Fortney (PI)
Clinical and Translational Research Intramural Funding Program, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Project Period: 12/1/2016 – 11/30/2018
Adaptation and validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) for the NICU setting
Total award and % effort: $40,000; no salary recovery
Christine Fortney (Co-I)
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23), National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research
Project Period: 9/26/2016 – 09/30/2019
Infant symptoms in the NICU: Impact on parent decision-making, coping, and distress.
Grant/Contract Number: K23NR016033
Christine Fortney (PI)
Mentors: Cynthia Gerhardt, Rita Pickler, Debra Brandon
Sigma, Epsilon Chapter, Research Grant
Project Period: 12/2015–12/2017
Practitioners’ views of palliative care and end of life in different pediatric settings
Christine Fortney (Co-I)
The Ohio State University College of Nursing Seed Grant.
Project Period: 12/2015 – 12/30/16
Infant symptoms in the NICU: Burden and impact on parent decision-making, coping, and distress Total award and % effort: $10,000; no salary recovery
Christine Fortney (PI)
Clinical and Translational Research Intramural Funding Program, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Project Period: 8/1/2014 – 7/31/2016
Perceptions of suffering, satisfaction with care, and unmet needs among parents of infants who died in the NICU
Total award and % effort: $40,000; no salary recovery
Christine Fortney (Co-PI)
Ruth B. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA), National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research
Project Period: 09/2005 – 08/2006
Defining a good death for high-risk neonates in the NICU
Grant/Contract Number: F31NR00946
Christine Fortney (PI)
Mentor: Deborah Steward

Editorial Activities

2021-present Section Editor, Ethics and Equity in Neonatal Care, Advances in Neonatal Care
2020-present Board Member, Advances in Neonatal Care

Honors

11/2024 - Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
3/2023 - Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing. Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
3/2022 - Outstanding Publication Award, Palliative and End of Life Care Research & Implementation Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society
3/2022 - Outstanding Publication Award, Symptom Science Research & Implementation Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society
5/2021 - Outstanding Evidence-based Practitioner Award, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University
5/2021 - Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry, The Ohio State University
4/2019 - Outstanding Leadership/Transformer Award, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University
3/2019 - New Investigator Award, Palliative and End of Life Care Research Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society
3/2019 - New Investigator Award, Symptom Science Research Interest Group, Midwest Nursing Research Society
5/2015 -2015 HPNA Research Scholar, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

Professional Activities

1/2023-present President, OSU College of Nursing Alumni Society, Columbus, Ohio
5/2022-present Invited Member, Faculty Advisory Committee (HSFAC) of the University Honors and Scholars Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
8/2021-present Chair, Undergraduate Studies Committee, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University
9/2023 - present Editorial Consultant, Position and Value Statements, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
9/2023 Co-Chair, Research Summit, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, Anaheim, California
9/2022-present Co-Chair, Research Committee, National Association of Neonatal Nurses
4/2022 Invited Research Mentor, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, Research Summit
10/2021-9/2022 Invited Research Mentor, National Association of Neonatal Nurses, Fellowship Program
7/2021-present Invited Content Expert and Panelist, National Advocacy Campaign, American Academy of Pediatrics section of Trainees and Early Career Neonatologists (AAP TECaN)
3/2021-present Chair, Research Special Interest Group, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association

Professional Society Memberships

2021-present Network of Pediatric Palliative Care Educators (NPPCE)
2017-present Pediatric Palliative Research Special Interest Group, Children’s National Hospital
2014-present National Association of Neonatal Nurses
2013-present Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA)
2012-present Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
2002-present Sigma Theta Tau International, Inc., Epsilon Chapter

News

September 26, 2025

Punches and team awarded $5.1 million NIH/NINDS grant to study pain trajectories in emergency department patients

Four-year study to develop predictive models for personalized pain care

September 23, 2025

College of Nursing awarded five-year continuation of NIH T32 training program

College to accept candidates for January 2026 and August 2026 cohorts

The Ohio State University College of Nursing has received a $1.8 million, five-year continuation of its Training in the Science of Health Development (TSHD) program.