Thomas Ahrens is an American

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

, researcher, and educator at

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the largest hospital in the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, it is the adult teaching hospital for the Washington University School of Medicine and a major component of ...

specializing in critical-care nursing.

Education

Ahrens graduated from

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

with a PhD in

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

and

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

in 1987.

Professional and scholarly work

Ahrens has more than 25 years of experience as a critical care nurse, and is the author of five books, more than 100 papers, and more than 40 scientific publications. His book ''Essentials of Oxygenation'' received the Book of the Year Award from the ''American Journal of Nursing''. Ahrens is also a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and formerly served on the board of directors for AACN. He is a recognized authority in sepsis and has given numerous lectures around the country on the subject. Ahrens is a Fellow of the

American Academy of Nursing The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) is a professional organization that generates, synthesizes, and disseminates nursing knowledge to contribute to health policy and practice for the benefit of the public and the nursing profession. Founded in 1 ...

, which named him one of its first Edge Runners in 2006; the award recognizes innovations resulting in better care for patients, families, and the community. In 2008, he received the Flame of Excellence award from the

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

; this award recognizes sustained contributions of excellence in acute and critical care nursing.

Business

Ahrens co-founded the company ICU-USA, Inc. in 1999. The company operates a website which provides educational information to hospital staff and medical information to patients and families (particularly those in

intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...

s). The company also places computer

kiosk Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...

s in public areas for use by patients, families, and hospital staff in accessing the site. The website has been endorsed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and has been named "The Official Patient and Family Website of the Society of Critical Care Medicine" by the

Society of Critical Care Medicine The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) is the largest non-profit medical organization in the practice of critical care. SCCM was established in 1970 and is an independently incorporated, international, educational and scientific society base ...

Personal life

Ahrens and his wife Pat Ahrens have four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahrens, Tom Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American medical researchers American nurses Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis alumni Male nurses Nursing researchers Nursing educators