Interview of Bernadette M. Melnyk by Sandy Cornett

Interview conducted at the Medical Heritage Center, Columbus, Ohio.Bernadette Melnyk describes her career as Dean of the College of Nursing, Vice President for Health Promotion and Chief Wellness Officer at The Ohio State University. Melnyk discusses how she became interested in nursing (she obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester), her early years as a nurse, and her career in various academic settings, such as Arizona State University, where she was tapped in 2004 as Dean of its College of Nursing. In 2010 she was recruited by Ohio State to not only become Dean of the College of Nursing but to serve as the first-ever Chief Wellness Officer at a university. She discusses her commitment to and work toward change in health care, including a shift in caring for the sick to a focus on well care and prevention. She also talks about her involvement in national efforts to focus on preventing clinician burnout, which can negatively affect patient outcomes. She also discusses the research side of wellness and the challenges faced in putting that into practice