Yuan Zhang

Yuan Zhang, Ph.D., RN

Associate Professor

College
Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences
Department
Susan and Alan Solomont School of Nursing
Phone
978-430-9312
Office
Health and Social Sciences Building, Room 285
Email
yuan_zhang@uml.edu
Links

Expertise

Occupational Health and Health Promotion, Shift Work and Sleep Health, Musculoskeletal and Mental Health Promotion, Health-care Workforce

Research Interests

Occupational health and health Promotion; Total Worker Health庐, shift work sleep disorders; sleep intervention for night shift workers; workplace safety and health; work organization and health outcomes; intention to turnover and turnover in healthcare; healthy workplace participatory interventions.

Education

  • Ph.D.: Occupational Health and Health Promotion, (2013), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA聽
    • Dissertation/Thesis Title: Sleep duration and health outcomes of formal caregivers in skilled nursing facilities: The contribution of the work environment
  • Post-Master Certificates: Nursing Education Certificate, Environmental Risk Assessment Certificate, (2011), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
  • M.S.: Clinical Nursing and Nursing Education, (2007), Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P. R. China
  • BS: Nursing, (2004), Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P. R. China聽

Biosketch

Yuan Zhang, Ph.D., RN, is a tenured associate professor in the Solomont School of Nursing, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her research focuses on promoting sleep and mental health of healthcare workers through evidence-based workplace participatory interventions. She is a pioneer nurse scientist working on the Total Worker Health庐 Center of Excellence, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, 2006-2026). Collaborating with the Brigham Women鈥檚 Hospital and Harvard Medical School, her research team field-tested a sleep-timing intervention to improve night shift performance and sleep quantity/quality of older nurses, funded by a R01 from the National Institute on Aging (2019-2023).聽
Zhang鈥檚 innovative research advances organization change and behavior improvement of healthcare workers, leading to successive impacts on the quality of care and patient safety. Her work has broad-reaching influence with 1,200+ citations to affect policy/practice through 45+ data-based manuscripts published in top interdisciplinary journals and 70+ presentations at 40+ leading national/international conferences. Zhang also serves as an editorial board member of Workplace Health and Safety, the Official Journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nursing.

Selected Awards and Honors

  • 2024 Teaching Excellence Award, Solomont School of Nursing, UMass Lowell
  • 2024 American Nurses Association (ANA) Massachusetts Excellence in Nursing Research Award聽
  • 2017 Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Nursing (MACN) Faculty Early Career Award聽
  • 2016 Teaching Excellence Award, Solomont School of Nursing, UMass Lowell聽
  • 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Eta Omega Chapter Travel Award聽
  • 2014 John A. Hartford Institute Geriatric Nursing Scholar聽
  • 2010 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, UMass Lowell

Selected Publications

  • Nobrega, S.,聽Zhang, Y., Hendrickson-Lohmeier, J., & Cavallari, J. (2024). Development and psychometric evaluation of the Total Worker Health skill scale. Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 68(5), 466-475. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxae030
  • Lai, Y-J., Tsai, E-Y., Jarustanaput, P., Wu, Y-S., Chen, Y-H., O鈥橪eary, S.E., Manachevakul, S., Zhang, Y., Shen, J., & Wang, Y. (2024). Optimism and mental health in college students: The mediating role of sleep quality and stress. Frontiers in Psychology. 15, 1403146. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403146.
  • Barger, L., Zhang, Y., Lammers-van der Holst, H., Snoep, D., Murphy, A., Desnoyers, B., & Duffy, J. (2024). Feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of an afternoon-evening sleep schedule in older nightshift workers. SLEEP Advances, 5(1), zpae010. doi:10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae010
  • Siddique, S., Gore, R., Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., & SHIFT Research Team. (2024). Emotional exhaustion in healthcare workers: Moving beyond coping skills to improve organizational conditions. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003063
  • Nobrega, S., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Let鈥檚 learn together! A mixed methods study to assess readiness for interprofessional education on Total Worker Health practice. Workplace Health & Safety. doi:10.1177/21650799231217320
  • Lammers-van der Holst, H.M., Quadri, S., Murphy, A., Ronda, J., Zhang, Y., Barger, L., & Duffy, J. (2023). Evaluation of sleep strategies between night shifts in actual shift workers. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. doi:10.1015/j.sleh.2023.08.025
  • Zhang, Y., Murphy, J., Lammers-van der Holst, H.M., Barger, L., Lai, Y-J., & Duffy, J. (2023). Interventions to improve sleep of nurses: A systematic review. Research in Nursing and Health, 46(5), 462-484. doi:10.1002/nur.22337聽
  • Essien, Y., Zhang, Y., Koren, A., Palacios, N., Louis, F., & Tucker, K. (2023). Sociocultural factors associated with persistent prescription opioid use among Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts. PLOS One, 18(8), e0290104. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0290104聽
  • Fallon, P., ElGhaziri, M., Jaeger, L., Zhang, Y., & Dugan, A. (2023). Peer support programs to reduce work-related organizational stress and trauma for public safety workers and military: A scoping review. Workplace Health & Safety, 71(11), 523-535. doi:10.1177/216507992311946235.聽
  • Zhang, Y., Dugan, A., ElGhaziri, M., Siddique, S., & Punnett, L. (2023). Work-family conflict and depression among healthcare workers: The role of sleep and decision latitude. Workplace Health and Safety, 71(4), 195-205. doi:10.1177/21650799221139998聽
  • Zhang, Y., ElGhaziri, M., & de Castillero, E. (2022). Synergistic effect of self-efficacy and social support on regular participation in leisure-time physical activity among nursing staff. International Journal of Nursing Practice, e13087. doi:10.1111/ijn.13087聽
  • Dugan, A.G., Decker, R.E., Zhang, Y., Lombardi, C.M.,鈥avallari, J. (2022). Precarious work schedules and sleep: A study of unionized full-time workers. Occupational Health Science, 6(2), 247-277. doi:10.1007/s41542-022-00114-y聽
  • Zhang, Y., ElGhaziri, M., Siddique, S., Gore, R., Kurowski, A., Nobrega, S., & Punnett, L. (2021). Emotional labor and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers: The role of sleep. Workplace Health and Safety, 69(8), 383-393. doi:10.1177/21650799211014768.
  • Burns-Mullett, C., & Zhang, Y. (2021). STOP-Bang screening for obstructive sleep apnea and referring for further evaluation in preoperative patients: A quality improvement project. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 37(5), 601-606. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2021.11.001聽
  • Zhang, Y., ElGhaziri, M., Siddique, S., Gore, R., Kurowski, A., Nobrega, S., & Punnett, L. (2020). Emotional labor and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers: The role of sleep. Workplace Health and Safety, 69(8), 383-393. doi:10.1177/21650799211014768.聽
  • Punnett, L., Nobrega, S., Zhang, Y., Rice, S., Gore, R., Kurowski, A., & SHIFT Research Team. (2020). The Healthy Workplace Participatory Program: Stepped-wedge protocol for prospective, controlled evaluation using mixed methods. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1463. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09551-2聽
  • Zhang, Y., ElGhaziri, M., Nasuti, S., & Duffy, J. (2020). The comorbidity of musculoskeletal disorders and depression: Associations with working conditions among hospital nurses. Workplace Health and Safety, 68(7), 346-354. doi:10.1177/2165079919897285聽
  • Park. M., Zhang, Y., Price, L.L., Bannuru, R.R., & Wang, C. (2020). Mindfulness is associated with sleep quality among patients with fibromyalgia. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, 23(3), 294-301. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.13756聽
  • Peters, A., Kellogg, M., & Zhang, Y. (2019). Implementation of a smartphone app to measure and manage anxiety in undergraduate clinical nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(6), 367-369.聽
  • Kotejoshyer, R., Zhang, Y., Flum, M., Fleishman, J. M., Punnett, L., & ProCare Research Team. (2019). Prospective evaluation of fidelity, impact and sustainability of participatory workplace health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(9), E1494. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16091494聽
  • ElGhaziri, M., Dugan, A., Zhang, Y., & Castro, M.E. (2019). Sex and gender role differences in occupational exposures and work outcomes among registered nurses in correctional settings. Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 63(9), 568-582. doi:10.1093/annweh/wxz018聽
  • Zhang, Y., ElGhaziri, M., Dugan, A., & Castro, M. (2019). Work and health correlates of sleep quantity and quality among correctional nurses. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 15(1), 42-51. doi:10.1097/JFN.0000000000000229聽
  • Powell-Cope, G., Rugs, D., lalynytchev, A., Devine, D., McCoskey, K., Zhang, Y., & Deter, L. (2018). Patient handling and mobility course content: A national survey of nursing programs. The American Journal of Nursing, 118(11), 22-31.聽
  • Zhang, Y., Peters, A., & Bradstreet, J. (2018). Relationships among sleep quality, coping styles, and depressive symptoms among college nursing students: A multiple mediator model. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(4), 320-325. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2017.12.004聽
  • Zhang, Y., & Tickner, J. (2018). Reinvigorating engagement and collaboration through interprofessional education (RECIPE) in nursing and public health students. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(12), 15-20.聽
  • Zhang, Y., Peters, A., & Chen, G. (2018). Perceived stress mediates the association between sleep quality and mental disorders among college nursing students. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 15(1). doi:10.1515/ijnes-2017-0020聽
  • Zhang, Y., Duffy, J., de Castillero, E., & Wang, K. (2018). Chronotype, sleep characteristics, and musculoskeletal disorders among hospital nurses. Workplace Health and Safety, 66(1), 8-15. doi:10.1177/2165079917704671聽
  • Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., & Rebecca, G. (2017). Predictors of nursing staff voluntary termination in nursing homes: A case-control study. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(11), 1518-1536. doi:10.1177/0733464817724043聽
  • Zhang, Y., Chernaik, M., & Hallet, K. (2017). Relationship issues among college nursing students: Associations with stress, coping, sleep and mental disorders. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 12(4), 246-252. doi:10.1016/j.teln.2017.06.005聽
  • Zhang, Y., Duffy, J., & de Castillero, E. (2017). Do sleep disturbances mediate the association between work-family conflict and depression among nurses? A cross-sectional study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 24(8), 620-628. doi:10.1111/jpm.12409聽
  • Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., & Nannini, A. (2017). Work-family conflict, sleep, and mental health of nursing assistants working in nursing homes. Workplace Health and Safety, 65(7), 295-303. doi:10.1177/2165079916665397聽
  • Zhang, Y., Cifuentes, M., Gao, X., Amaral, G., & Tucker, K. (2017). Age- and gender-specific associations between insomnia and falls in Boston Puerto Rican adults. Quality of Life Research, 26(1), 25-34. doi:10.1007/s11136-016-1374-7聽
  • Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., Mawn, B., & Gore, R. (2016). Working conditions and mental health of nursing staff in nursing homes. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 37(7): 485-492. doi:10.3109/01612840.2016.1162884聽
  • Zhang, Y., Flum, M., Kotejoshyer, R., Fleishman, J. M., Henning, R., & Punnett, L. (2016). Workplace participatory occupational health/health promotion program: Facilitators and barriers observed in three nursing homes. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(6), 34-42. doi:10.3928/00989134-20160308-03聽
  • Xu, D., Chen, L., Wan, X., Zhang, Y., Liu, N., & Wang, K. (2016). Toileting behavior and related health beliefs among Chinese female nurses. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 70(5), 416-423. doi:10.1111/ijcp.12798
  • Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., PhillipsMcEnany, G., & Gore, R. (2016). Contributing influences of work environment on sleep quantity and quality of nursing assistants in long-term care facilities. Geriatric Nursing, 37(1), 13-18. doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2015.08.010
  • Zhang, Y., Soroken, L., Laccetti, M., de Castillero, E., & Konadu, A. (2015). Centralized to hybrid nurse station: communication and teamwork among nursing staff. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 5(12), 34-41. doi:10.5430/jnep.v5n12p34
  • Zhang, Y., Flum, M., West, C., & Punnett, L. (2015). Assessing organizational readiness for a participatory occupational health/health promotion intervention in skilled nursing facilities. Health Promotion Practice, 16(5), 724-732. doi:10.1177/1524839915573945
  • Zhang, Y., Punnett, L., Gore, R., & The CPHNEW Research Team. (2014). Relationships among employees鈥 working conditions, mental health and intention to leave in nursing homes. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 33(1), 6-23. doi:10.1177/0733464812443085
  • Raman, G., Zhang, Y., Minichiello, V.J., D鈥橝mbrosio, C., & Wang, C. (2013). Tai Chi improves sleep quality in healthy adults and patients with chronic conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sleep Disorders & Therapy, 2, 141. doi:10.4172/2167-0277.1000141
  • Holmberg, M.D., Flum, M., West, C., Zhang, Y., Qamili, S., & Punnett, L. (2013). Nursing assistants鈥 dilemma: Caregiver vs. caretaker. Hospital Topics, 91, 1-8. doi:10.1080/00185868.2013.757953

Selected Presentations

  • 鈥淥ptimism and mental health in college students: The mediating role of sleep quality and stress鈥 at the 2024 Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science Conference, Washington, DC, June 13-15, 2024.
  • 鈥淣ight shift work and sleep experiences of older night shift nurses鈥 at 2024 Eastern Nurse Research Society, Boston, MA, April 4-5, 2024.聽
  • 鈥淔ine Particulate Matter Exposure and Pediatric Mental Health Outcomes: An Integrative Review鈥 at 2024 Eastern Nurse Research Society, Boston, MA, April 4-5, 2024.聽
  • 鈥淟et鈥檚 learn together! Attitudes of occupational safety and health professionals about the use of interprofessional education pedagogies in continuing education鈥 at International Congress for Occupational Health, Marrakesh, Morocco, April 28-May 3, 2024.聽
  • 鈥淔acilitators and barriers for the availability, use and helpfulness of PSP programs to address correctional officers stress and trauma in prison and jail settings: Findings from a National Survey鈥 at the 2023 Work, Stress and Health Conference, Miami, FL, November 8-11, 2023.聽
  • 鈥淭otal Worker Health庐 Competency Among Multidisciplinary Occupational Safety and Health Professionals: A Survey Study to Guide Continuing Education鈥 at the 2023 Work, Stress and Health Conference, Miami, FL, November 8-11, 2023.聽
  • 鈥淎 Qualitative Investigation of Competencies Needed for Total Worker Health Practice鈥 at the 2023 Work, Stress and Health Conference, Miami, FL, November 8-11, 2023.聽
  • 鈥淚ndividual differences of sleep pattern and duration between two consecutive night shifts among night workers鈥 at SLEEP 2023, Indiannapolis, IN, June 3-7, 2023.聽
  • 鈥淒aily associations between work and sleep among intensive care nurses鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淚nterventions to improve sleep of shift working nurses: A systematic review鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淲ork and health behavior correlates of weight gain among formal caregivers in nursing homes鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淩eal-time workplace violence incidents and stress reporting among intensive care registered nurses鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淪ociocultural factors associated with persistent prescription opioid use among Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淧eer support for frontline correction officers: Results from a national survey鈥 at the 2022 APHA Conference, Boston, November 6-9, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淩eal-time approaches to measure workplace violence among nurses, is one measure enough? Development of an incident scoring system鈥 at the 2022 IAWBH Conference, San Diego, September 19-24, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淪leep patterns and experiences in older night shift nurses鈥 at SLEEP 2022, Charlotte, NC, June 4-8, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淚nvestigating nursing incivility and harassment experiences by characterizing day-level experiences鈥 at the 2022 EAOHP Conference, Bordeaux, France, July 6-8, 2022.聽
  • 鈥淪coping review of peer support programs to reduce stress and trauma for frontline safety personnel鈥 at the 2021 NECOEM Conference, Boston, MA, December 2-3, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淲ork-family conflict and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers: The role of sleep and decision latitude.鈥 at the Work, Stress and Health 2021 Virtual Conference, Miami, FL, November 3-6, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淚mpact of Surface Acting Emotional Labor on Depression in Healthcare Workers: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion as a Mediator鈥 at the Work, Stress and Health 2021 Virtual Conference, Miami, FL, November 3-6, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淓motional exhaustion in healthcare workers: The importance of organizational leadership and safety鈥 at the Work, Stress and Health 2021 Virtual Conference, Miami, FL, November 3-6, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淚mmediate and Retrospective Characterizations of Stress in Nursing Incivility and Harassment Experiences.鈥 at the Work, Stress and Health 2021 Virtual Conference, Miami, FL, November 3-6, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淐ontinuous multimodal assessment of physiological stress responses among nurses in relation to incidents of workplace violence: A feasibility study guided by Total Worker Health庐 principles.鈥 at the Work, Stress and Health 2021 Virtual Conference, Miami, FL, November 3-6, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淪leep disturbances mediate the association between emotional labor and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers鈥 at SLEEP 2021, Seattle, WA, June 12-16, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淟imited time for sleep in night shift workers is associated with the risk of insomnia and shift work disorder鈥 at SLEEP 2021, Seattle, WA, June 12-16, 2021.聽
  • 鈥淟ong shift duration is associated with high risk for Shift Work Disorder鈥 at ESRS Congress 2020, Seville, Spain, September 22-25, 2020.聽
  • 鈥淎ssociations of low back pain and sleep among nursing staff鈥 at SLEEP 2020, Philadelphia, PA, June 13-17, 2020.聽
  • 鈥淲orkplace yoga program features and associations with shift work and sleep among nursing staff鈥 at SLEEP 2020, Philadelphia, PA, June 13-17, 2020.聽
  • 鈥淪ex differences in sleep and quality of life in healthcare shift workers鈥 at SLEEP 2020, Philadelphia, PA, June 13-17, 2020.聽
  • 鈥淔actors associated with regular participation in leisure-time physical activity among nursing staff鈥 at the 2019 American Public Health Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 2-6, 2019.聽
  • 鈥淓valuation of an online nurse continuing education program to prevent patient handling injuries鈥 at the 2019 American Public Health Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 2-6, 2019.

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • NIOSH鈥揅PH-NEW Center (5 U19 OH012299-02), 鈥淪afety in Healthcare through Integrated Facilitated Teams (SHIFT)-II鈥 (2021-2026) - Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), awarded $7 million, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health聽
  • R01 鈥淭reatment of circadian disruption from shiftwork in older adults鈥 (2019-2023) - Zhang, Y. (Site Principal Investigator), awarded $1.8 million, National Institute on Aging
  • 鈥淲earable technology and biophysical measurements to assess psychosocial impact of work organization and critical workplace events鈥 (2020-2022) - Zhang, Y. (Investigator), awarded $70,000, NIOSH鈥揅PH-NEW Center Supplement Grant聽
  • 鈥淚mproving optimism, sleep quality, stress, and mental health using a virtual reality-based intervention among undergraduate students: a pilot study鈥 (2023-2025) 鈥 Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), awarded $15,000, University of Massachusetts Lowell Seed Grant聽
  • 鈥淎 Diverse Asian Faculty Peer Mentoring Group for Quantitative Research Collaboration and Career Advancement鈥 (2023-2024) 鈥 Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), awarded $2,000, University of Massachusetts Lowell Faculty Equity Collaborative Mentoring Seed Grant聽
  • 鈥淯sing marketing technology to foster healthy sleep habits鈥 (2022-2023) 鈥 Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), awarded $3,000, Donahue Center for Business Pilot Research Grant聽
  • Optimism with sleep quality, stress, and mental health among college students returning to classes during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022-2023) 鈥 Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), awarded $4,000, Donna Manning Pilot Research Grant聽
  • 鈥淚nvestigating the link between sleep alterations and cognitive decline in the elderly using wearable devices鈥 (2021-2023) - Zhang, Y. (Co-PI), awarded $10,000, University of Massachusetts Lowell Seed Grant聽
  • NIOSH鈥揅PH-NEW Center (2U19 OH008857-11), 鈥淪afety in Healthcare through Integrated Facilitated Teams (SHIFT)鈥 and 鈥淭otal Worker Health Dissemination and Implementation Hub鈥 (2016-2021) - Zhang, Y. (Investigator), awarded $6.3 million, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health聽
  • 鈥淯sing smartwatch to investigate health behaviors of night shift nurses" (2016-2018) - Zhang, Y. (Principal Investigator), awarded $8,000, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences聽
  • 鈥淐oping with stress and sleep quality among college nursing students鈥 (2015-2016) - Zhang, Y. (Principal Investigator), awarded $1,900, Sigma Theta Tau International Eta Omega Chapter Research Grant聽
  • 鈥淎ssessing the occupational health risks and health behaviors for men in correctional nursing and evaluating the barriers and facilitators for a peer mediation program鈥 (2015-2017) - Zhang, Y. (co-Investigator), awarded $11,000, NIOSH-CPH-NEW Center Pilot Grant聽
  • 鈥淚nvestigation of physical workload and sleep quality with objective field measures among rehabilitation professionals鈥 (2014-2016) - Zhang, Y. (Principal Investigator), awarded $9,000, University of Massachusetts Lowell Seed Grant聽
  • 鈥淩einvigorating engagement and collaboration through interprofessional education鈥 (2015-2016) - Zhang, Y. (Principal Investigator), awarded $2,000, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Interprofessional Education Teaching Grant