Mary Isaacson, PhD, RN, RHNC, CHPN, FPCN
Mary J. Isaacson, PhD, RN is an Associate Professor and the Christine Heide Sorensen Endowed Professor in Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing. She leads an NIH-funded program of research (NCI and NINR) focused on addressing health inequities through the development of culturally responsive palliative care and culture-centered palliative care messaging in partnership with American Indian Tribal communities in the Great Plains.
Dr. Isaacson is nationally recognized for her work in transcultural health disparities and serves as a consultant to investigators engaged in community-based research with Tribal nations. She has extensive expertise in Indigenous and qualitative methodologies and is a co-author of the Comfort with Communication in Palliative and End of Life (C-COPE) instrument, a validated measure of healthcare clinicians’ comfort with palliative and end-of-life communication.
Dr. Isaacson serves as the President-Elect for the Rural Nurses Organization and as secretary for the Council of Public Health Nurse Organizations. In recognition of her outstanding commitment and significant contributions to advancing equitable health outcomes and reducing health disparities through research, she is the recipient of the 2026 Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. She was also named the recipient of the 2024 F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.
2009, PhD, Indiana University
2002, MA-Nursing, Augustana University
1998, BSN, South Dakota State University
1982, Diploma in Nursing, St. Luke's College
- American Indian Health Equity
- American Indian Health Disparities
- Palliative and End of Life Care
- Palliative and End of Life Care communication
- Palliative and End of Life Care Program Development in Rural Communities
- Palliative and End of Life Community Health Worker Intervention
- Health-Related Social Needs
- Rural and Frontier Nursing
- Transcultural Nursing
- Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion
2026-2027, Co-Creating a Palliative Care Intervention for American Indian Adults with End-Stage Kidney Disease, $50,000 PI: Brandon Varilek
2026-2027, Identifying Health-Related Social Needs of Seriously Ill Great Plains Native Americans to Inform Tribal-Led Palliative Care Intervention Adaptation, $50,000, PI: Bethany-Rose Daubman.
2023-2024, Conducting a Community Needs Assessment to Address American Indian Social Invisibility and Health Inequities, $50,000, PI: Mary Isaacson
2022-2025, Culturally Responsive palliative care messaging for American Indians: An Efficacy Trial, $368,794, PI: Mary Isaacson
2019-2024, Advancing Palliative Care in Northern Plains American Indians, $2,803,957, PI: Katrina Armstrong
2022-2023, Examining the Relationship of South Dakota Healthcare Providers’ Familiarity with Patients and Families and Their Comfort with Palliative and End-of-Life Communication: A Mixed Methods Study, $12,581, PI: Brandi Pravecek
2021-2022, Creating Authentic Connections among Nurse Educators and Native American Nursing Students through a Shared Cultural Education Experience, $9,934, PI: Valeriah Big Eagle
2020-2023, COVID Supplement to Advancing Palliative Care in Northern Plains American Indians, $1,105,552, PI: Katrina Armstrong
Seydel, A., Isaacson, M. J., Varilek, B. M. Navigating the shadows of stigma in sickle cell disease: A phenomenological study. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing. [Accepted for publication 1.2026]
Isaacson, M. J., Soh, K. M., Wichman, C. S., Johnson, G., Le Beaux, K., Michael, S., & Hunter, K. M. Improving palliative care knowledge and intentions among Great Plains American Indians: Efficacy results from a randomized clinical trial testing a culture-centric palliative care message. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. [Advance online publication 12.2025]
Isaacson, M. J., Herigon, K.D., Longacre, L. E., Pravecek, B., & Varilek, B. M. A diary of familiarity: A qualitative exploration of clinicians’ experiences of familiarity and serious illness decision-making in a rural state. Advances in Nursing Science. 2025. [Advance online publication 12.2025]
Isaacson, M.J., & Varilek, B.M. (2025). Creating a safe space: Engaging graduate nursing students in meaningful discourse about racism. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. [Advance online publication/open access 10.2025] https://doi.org/10.1177/104365962513778
Tobey, M., Purvis, S. J., Daubman, B. R., Isaacson, M. J., Duran, T., Johnson, G., LaPlante, J. R., & Armstrong, K. (2025). The experience of long COVID among American Indian individuals in three Great Plains communities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02618-z
Carlson, N., Brown, R., Foland, K., & Isaacson, M. J. (2025). Certified nursing assistants’ perceptions of a traumatic event in long-term care: A qualitative pilot study. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 51(7), 15-20. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20250505-05
Carlson, N., Brown, R., Foland, K., & Isaacson, M. J. (2025). The raging river: Certified nursing assistants’ experiences in rural, long-term care. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Heath Care, 25(1), 72-98. https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v25i1.7898
Daubman, B. R., Duran, T., Johnson, G., Soltoff, A., Purvis, S. J., LaPlante, J. R., Jackson, S., Petereit, D., Tobey, M., Armstrong, K. & Isaacson, M. J. (2026). “Are they just experimenting with all of us?” Cultural considerations for clinicians caring for seriously ill Great Plains American Indians. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 43(1), 77-84. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091251327404
Rekabdarkolaee, H.M., Longacre, L.E., Isaacson, M.J., & Varilek, B.M. (2025). Hospice referral rate disparities of American Indian/Alaska Native kidney transplant recipients with end-stage kidney disease: A retrospective cohort analysis. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine®. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.117/10499091251315419
Johnson, G., Purvis, S., Le Beaux, K., Tobey, M., & Isaacson, M. J. (2024).
American Indian adolescent perspectives on COVID-19 impacts within Great Plains area reservations. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. Accepted for publication.
Hunter, K. M., Johnson, G., Le Beaux, K., & Isaacson, M. J. (2024). “You do
what you have to do, and you don’t ask for help”: American Indian reservation community talking circles about barriers to palliative care. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi/10.1080/17459435.2024.2425080
Varilek, B. M., Isaacson, M. J., & Moradi, H. M. (2024). Evaluating disparities in kidney disease survival among American Indian/Alaska Native persons with diabetes. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-024-02173-z
Pravecek, B., Wey, H., & Isaacson, M. J. (2024). Examining the relationship
between rural and urban clinicians’ familiarity with patients and families and their comfort with palliative and end-of-life care communication. American Journal of
Hospice and Palliative Medicine®. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091241265406
Varilek, B. M., Doyon, K., Vacek, S., & Isaacson, M. J. (2024). Palliative and
end-of-life care interventions with minoritized populations in the US with serious illness: A scoping review. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10499091241232978
Varilek, B. M., & Isaacson, M. J. (2024). Coming to terms: Female Veterans’
experience of serious illness. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 26(2), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000001004
Purvis, S. J., Armstrong, K., Isaacson, M. J., Soltoff, A., Duran, T., Johnson, G., LaPlante, J. R., Daubman, B. R., & Tobey, M. (2024). Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Great Plains American Indian communities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 11, 3690-3703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01818-9
Coats, H., Doyon, K., Isaacson, M.J., Tay, D., Rosa, W.E., Mayahara, M., Kates,J., Frechman, E., Wright, P.M., Boyden, J.Y., Broden, E.G., Hinds, P.S., James, R., Keller, S., Thrane, S., Mooney-Doyle, K., Sullivan, S.S., Xu, J., Tanner, J., Natal, M.(2023). The 2023-2026 hospice and palliative nurses association research agenda. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 25(2), 55-74.
https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000000935
Isaacson. M. J., Duran, T., Johnson, G., Soltoff, A., Jackson, S., Purvis, S., Sargent, M., LaPlante, J. R., Petereit, D., Armstrong, K., & Daubman, B. R. (2023). Great Plains American Indian’s perspectives of patient and family needs while on the cancer journey. Oncology Nursing Forum, 50(3), 279-289. https://doi.org/10.1188/23.ONF.279-289
Ramsay Seaner, K., Letcher, A., Isaacson, M. J., Fenster, K. A., & Heckmann, B. (2023). Assessing color-blind racism in nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives, 44(3), 172-174. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001045
Tribby, K. V. & Isaacson, M. J. (2023). “We’re not valued, we’re not heard.” Voices of seasoned nurses in a rural state following the onset of COVID-19. Advances in Nursing Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000490
Daubman, B. R., Duran, T., Johnson, G., Soltoff, A., Purvis, S., Sargent, M., LaPlante, J. R., Petereit, D., Armstrong, K., & Isaacson, M. J. (2023). “You can’t record that!” Engaging, American Indian traditional healers in qualitative research. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.01.008
Purvis, S. J., Soltoff, A., Isaacson, M. J., Duran, T., Johnson, G., LaPlante, J. R., Tobey, M., & Armstrong, K. (2022). COVID-19 testing factors among Great Plains American Indians. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01433-0
Fischer, S., Isaacson, M., Sharma, R. K., & Johnson, K. S. (2022). Racism in palliative care research: We still have a long ways to go. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 65(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.09.009
Seydel, A., Moutsoglou, N., Varilek, B.M., Minton, M., & Isaacson, M.J. (2022). Navigating disharmony: Nurse experiences providing end of life communication. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 24(6), 328-334. https://doi.org/10.1097/njh.0000000000000909
Isaacson, M. J., Duran, T., Johnson, G., Soltoff, A., Jackson, S., Petereit, D., Armstrong, K., & Daubman, B.R. (2022). “Calling the spirit back:” Spiritual needs among Great Plains American Indians. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 64(3), 268-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.05.014
Soltoff, A. E., Purvis, S., Ravicz, M., Isaacson, M. J., Duran, T., Johnson, G., Sargent, M., LaPlante, J. R., Petereit, D., Armstrong, K., Daubman, B. R. (2022). Factors influencing palliative care access and delivery for Great Plains American Indians. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 64(3), 276-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.05.011
Soltoff, A. E., Isaacson, M. J., Stoltenberg, M., Duran, T., LaPlante, J.R., Petereit, D., Armstrong, K., & Daubman, B.R. (2022). Utilizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to explore palliative care program implementation for American Indian and Alaska Natives throughout the United States. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 25(4), 643-649. https://doi.org/140.1089/jpm.2021.0451
O’Connell-Persaud, S. & Isaacson, M. J. (2021). Undergraduate nursing students’ spirituality and perceived ability to provide spiritual care: A mixed-method study. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890101211034336
Styes, A. A. & Isaacson, M. J. (2021). Improving rural emergency nurses comfort during palliative and end-of-life communication. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 21(1), 100-117. https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.647
Mylant, M.L., Isaacson, M.J., Heil, J. (2021). The feasibility of the strengthening family and an adapted American Indian nutrition and physical activity program: A pilot study. South Dakota Medicine, 74(4), 172-180.
Varilek, B. M. & Isaacson, M. J. (2021). Female veteran use of palliative and hospice care: A scoping review. Military Medicine, 186(11-12), 1100-1105. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab005
Minton, M. E., Isaacson, M. J., & Da Rosa, P. (2020). Psychometric analysis of the Comfort with Communication in Palliative and End-of-Life (C-COPE) instrument. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 26(8), 334-343.
Varilek, B. M. & Isaacson, M. J. (2020). The dance of cystic fibrosis: Experiences of living with cystic fibrosis as an adult. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(17-18), 3553-3564. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15397
Isaacson, M.J., Minton, M.E., DaRosa, P., & Harming, S. (2019). Nurse comfort with palliative and end of life communication: A rural and urban comparison. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 21(1), 38-45. https://doi.org/ 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000483
2026-current, Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, RNO Representative
2026-current, Rural Nurses Organization (RNO), President-Elect
2013-current, American Nurses Association, Member
2023-current, American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Member and State of the Science Committee Member
2015-current, Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA), Member
2020-2022, HPNA Research Advisory Council, Chair/Co-Chair
2018-2022, HPNA Research Advisory Council, Member
2021-2022, HPNA DEIB Committee, Member
2015-current, Rural Nurses Organization (RNO), Member
2022-2025, Rural Nurses Organization (RNO), Board Member at Large
2022-2025, Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, Secretary
2026 – Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Excellence in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award
2024 - Nursing Education Perspectives/NLN, Article title, “Assessing color-blind racism in nursing students,” recognized by editorial board of Nursing Education Perspectives as best article among all Research Briefs
2024 - South Dakota State University, F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity
2024 - Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association, Volunteer of the Month
2024 - Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association, Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing
2023 - South Dakota State University, Outstanding Researcher
2023 - South Dakota State University, Master Online Certification
2023 - Sigma Theta Tau International, Phi Chapter Key Award
2021 - Harvard Medical School, Selected as participant in Research Methods in Supportive Oncology Workshop