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Brenda Mutchler

Biography

Brenda Mutchler, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, CNE-cl is a lecturer in the School of Nursing. She teaches courses in the Traditional BSN and RN-BSN programs. 

Before joining the faculty at UWF, Dr. Mutchler had over 25 years of nursing experience as a Registered Nurse in the Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, Medical-Surgical, Hospice, and Radiation Oncology care settings. During this time, her passion for education was fostered through mentoring students and new graduates as the next generation of nursing professionals to achieve academic excellence and assist in their growth as professionals in nursing practice. She has been in nursing education for 9 years with experience teaching in Medical-Surgical, Community/Population, and Palliative Care as part of Undergraduate, Second-degree, and Master’s degree programs.

Dr. Mutchler obtained her Diploma of Nursing from Methodist College of Nursing of Peoria, Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University, and a Doctorate in Education from Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa. Her research focus for her dissertation included the obstacles which limit faculty inclusion of Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum; as well as the barriers new graduates face as they enter current practice in the care of palliative (PC) and end-of-life (EOL) clients, student preparation, and the implications of those gaps have on this population’s patient outcomes. Through these initiatives, she has explored nursing confidence and disposition for caring for PC and EOL patients, the critical roles that affect PC and EOL integration, barriers to incorporating compassionate care, and directions for future research to address gaps in current knowledge and enhance the quality of patient care.

She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter exploring the coastal Panhandle area as a new transplant from the Midwest. As a cancer survivor, she has had the opportunity to coach other survivors in post-treatment wellness through exercise as a part of the Cancer Recovery Empowering Women (CREW 309) program.