Post-Doctoral PMHNP Certificate, Rush University, Chicago, IL
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Master of Science in Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Registered Nurse - Graduate Entry Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Arts - Biology / Psychology, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Primary care, Community health, Integrated behavioral healthcare, Trauma informed care; Child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry
Melissa Kalensky, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CNE, is dual boarded as a family nurse practitioner and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She has a broad base of clinical experience, including family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. As a member of the Office of Faculty Practice, Kalensky spent 2021 providing care through a CDPH grant in conjunction with Heartland Alliance Health. This Shelter Based Services Team team provided COVID testing and tracing, community based COVID vaccination, and primary and mental healthcare within homeless shelters throughout Chicago. Her current clinical practice includes providing outpatient care for pediatric, adolescent, and adult psychiatry patients in Ukranian Village.
Kalensky is a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League of Nursing. She teaches in the FNP-DNP program at Rush University, focusing on coursework in health policy, mental health, clinical quality improvement, as well as precepting nurse practitioner students in her private practice.
2018 Illinois 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leaders Award Recipient
2017 The OpEd Project Public Voices Fellow
Bejster, M., Geis, A., Cygan, H., Ferry-Rooney, R., Kalensky, M., & Moss, A. (Accepted April 2022). The impact of COVID-19 on academic-practice partnerships: Implications for nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education.
Kalenskyk M., (2022, April 18). Psychedelics: applications in mental health. Psychiatry Advisor.
Rousseau, J., Moss, A., Swartwout, K., Kalensky, M., Gallagher, T., Gorenz, A., Dickins, K. (Accepted Oct 2021). Leveraging a Successful Faculty Practice Model to Recruit and Retain Early-Career Nurse Faculty. Nurse Educator.
Kalensky, M. (2021, December 21). The pros and cons of medical cannabis: Current evidence. The Clinical Advisor.
Frei, J., Kalensky, M., McIntosh, E., Mystkowski, J., Schweinus, E., Shaw, B., Thompson, H. (2019). Gender affirmation in adult primary care. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15 (10), 742-748.
Kalensky, M., & Hande, K. (2017). Transition from expert clinician to novice faculty: A blueprint for success. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13 (9), e433-439.
Kalensky, M. (2018, January 17). Fix what we’ve got and make Medicare right this year. The Hill.
Halloway, S., & Kalensky, M. (2017, December 16). The fight to end Alzheimer’s should start earlier than you think. The Health Care Blog.
Kalensky, M. (2017, November 3). More than ‘minions’: Nurses deserve more respect from doctors. STAT News.
Glenny, M. (Host; 2017, October 19). WMNF 88.5, Tampa, Florida. From a Women’s Point of View. Pre-recorded interview regarding proposed Murray-Alexander bill and its impact on the Affordable Care Act.
Kalensky, M. (2017, October 6). Don’t be scared: 4 keys for breast cancer screening, treatment access. Huffpost.
Kalensky, M. (2017, September 28). Death or Debt, this is why we need health insurance guarantees. The Hill.
Kalensky, M., & Shattell, M. (2017, June 28). Providers prescribe opioids because health plans give few choices. The Hill.
Shattell, M., & Kalensky, M. (2016, November 4). Why we need the affordable care act now more than ever. The Huffington Post.
Peer Reviewed Presentations
Kalensky, M.(2022) Initial psychiatric assessment for the primary care provider. Podium presentation & prerecorded CE content at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference. Orlando, FL.
Moss, A., Cygan, H., Geis, A., Bejster, M., Ferry-Rooney, R., Kalensky, M., & Delaney, K. (January 19, 2022). Development of an operational model for academic-practice partnerships: Moving from theory to action. Poster presentation at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Conference, Practice Leadership Network Pre-Conference. Naples, FL.
Rousseau, J., Moss, A., Swartwout, K., Kalensky, M., Gallagher, T., Gorenz, A., & Dickins, K (January 19, 2022). Leveraging a successful faculty practice model to recruit and retain early-career nurse faculty. Poster presentation at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Conference, Practice Leadership Network Pre-Conference. Naples, FL.
Bejster, M., Geis, A., Cygan, H., Delaney, K., Ferry-Rooney, R., Kalensky, M., & Moss, A. The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Practice Partnerships. American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Conference, Practice Leadership Network Pre-Conference, Virtual, January 19, 2022.
Halloway, S., Buchholz, S., Daniel, M., Lemke, S., Bavis, M., Odiaga, J., Pelt, P., Braun, L., Tafini, S., Kalensky, M., Opdycke, A., Knudson, K., Cygan, H., Wilbur, J. (2021). DNP-PhD Collaboration in NIH-funded Physical Activity Trials for Women at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Team Science Approach. American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions, Boston, MA. ( also offered virtually).
Kalensky, M. (2021).. “Cannabinoid Use and Abuse: A Primer for Clinicians”. Prerecorded CE content for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference, Anaheim, CA. (converted to virtual).
Kalensky, M. (2020). “A Pain in the Gut: Algorithmic Evaluation of Acute Abdominal Pain”. Prerecorded CE content of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners, New Orleans, LA. (converted to virtual).
Kalensky, M. (2019). “Routine, Urgent or Emergent: Referral to Emergency Medicine”.Podium presentation for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference„ Indianapolis, IN.
O’Brien, B., Kalensky, M., Bavis, M., Shaw, B., & Siomos, M. (2019)). “A Series of Sequential Cohort Based Simulation Experiences for APRN Students: Design Strategies and Lessons Learned”. Podium presentation for the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty National Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Kalensky, M. (2018) - Podium Presentation). “Strategies from Moving from the Clinic to the Classroom”. American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Denver, CO.
Moss, A., Gallagher, T., Kalensky, M., Ross, M.K., Dickins, K., and Wengroff, N. (2018)). “Strategies Leveraging Today’s Academic-Practice Climate: A Faculty Practice Makeover Success Story”. Poster presentation for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Faculty Practice Pre-Conference, Naples, FL.
Kalensky, M. (2017). “Targeting the Top 5%: How Value Based Management of Medicare Patients Translates into Large Scale Cost Savings”. Podium Presentation for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Kalensky, M. (2017). “Leveraging Twitter: Putting Health Policy into Practice”. Podium Presentation for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference„ Philadelphia, PA.
Hande, K., & Kalensky, M., (2017). “Transition from Practitioner to Faculty Role: Strategies for Success”. Podium Presentation for the Pursuing Radical Transformation in Nursing Education Conference, Duke University, Durham, NC.
Kalensky, M (2016). “Resource Utilization and APRN Practice in an Environment of Full Risk”. Podium Presentation for the Illinois Society of Advance Practice Nursing Midwest Conference. Lisle, IL
Kalensky, M (2016). “Going Full Risk: Exploring APRN Practice in an Environment of Full Financial Risk” Podium Presentation for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Media Interviews
Della Volpe, K. (2021, November 8). Clinical Advisor. Shelter Based Care NP Dr. Melissa Kalensky Shares COVID-19 Experiences.
Glenny, M. (Host; 2017, October 19). WMNF 88.5, Tampa, Florida. From a Women’s Point of View. Pre-recorded interview regarding proposed Murray-Alexander bill and its impact on the Affordable Care Act.