Olga Ehrlich, PhD, RN, CHPN

Assistant Professor
2003 Human Health Building
(248) 364-8742
[email protected]

Biography

Dr. Ehrlich received her BSN from Arizona State University, her PhD from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Phyllis F. Cantor Center in Nursing and Patient Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Prior to becoming a nurse, Dr. Ehrlich was a homebirth midwife. Her clinical career included working as a nurses’ aide, surgical technician, and Med-Surg ICU nurse before finding that her passion was palliative and hospice care, her board specialty.

Dr. Ehrlich’s program of cancer pain research has focused on the intersections of perception, behavior, and social processes used by persons with end-stage cancers, their informal caregivers, and their nurses when managing pain. Currently, she is working on a study which describes how hospice patients define pain goals and the confirmation of the total pain model. She currently is leading a community-based participatory research study to develop primary palliative care capacity in the Upper Peninsula, working with a county-wide community advisory board.

Dr. Ehrlich has taught students at all levels of nursing, developed and piloted a primary palliative care curriculum for undergraduate students, presented her research and workshops on teaching palliative care at national symposia, and served as a reviewer for journal manuscripts and conference posters, as well as foundation grants. She is a longtime member of Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) and serves on the HPNA Research Advisory Committee, contributing to the 2027-2033 Research Agenda.

Dr. Ehrlich enjoys collaborative research with nurses and multidisciplinary scientists and practitioners, as well as engaging with students as they develop their authentic professional nursing personas.

Clinical Expertise: Community based palliative and hospice care, advance care planning, symptom management, pain management, care of dying persons and families.

Education:

• Post-doctoral research fellowship, 2017-2019, UMass Boston/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care
• PhD, Nursing, 2017, UMass Amherst, Dissertation: Cancer Pain Social Processes
• Graduate Nursing Education Certificate, 2016, UMass Amherst
• BSN, Nursing, 2006, University of Arizona, Tempe

Research Area Interests:

• Poorly controlled cancer pain, pain in persons with advanced cancers; primary palliative care professional and undergraduate nursing education; rural palliative care inequities; community-based participatory research

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications/Research Presentations:

• Publications (Journal)
  • Lackowski, A., & Ehrlich, O. Parental palliative and end-of-life decision-making in pediatrics: A systematic review. Under review, September 29, 2026, JPEDIATRNURS-D-26-02621. Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
  • Pozzar, R. A., Gray, T. F., Nayak, M. M., Underhill, M. L., Ehrlich, O., Haas, N. M., Ho, V., Enzinger, A. C., Hammer, M. J., Berry, D.L. (2026). User-centered development of the MyCare2 comprehensive digital support platform for caregivers of individuals with cancer. JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 10(2), e 2500348, https://doi.org/10.1200/CCI-25-00348
  • Kruse, J. A., Ehrlich, O., & Altmiller, G. (2026). Comprehensive community
  • assessments: "Growing" a familiar strategy to build advanced-level competencies. Journal of Professional Nursing, 65, 196-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2026.05.008
  • Davidson, C., Ehrlich O., & Glover, T. L. (2026). Serious illness communication in homecare nursing: A concept analysis. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 28(1):41-47. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000001153.
  • Glover, T., Ehrlich, O., Davis, A., Lippe, M., Cormack, C. L., Fasolino, T., Kirkpatrick, A. J., Jizba, T., LeBlanc, R., Meskis, S., & Weiss, D. J. (2025). A regional approach to implementing the AACN Essentials sphere of palliative care. Journal of Professional Nursing, 58, 77-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2025.03.004.
  • Ehrlich O., Kruse, J. A., Lackowski, A., and Glover, T. L. (2025). A nursing faculty intervention for teaching primary palliative care in baccalaureate nursing competency-based education. Palliative Medicine Reports, 6(1), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1089/pmr.2024.0079
  • Ehrlich, O., Hristova, M., Jizba, T., Davidson, C., Powless, D., & Glover, T. G. (2025). Evaluating the impact of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium curriculum: A systematic review of assessments and outcomes. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 27(6). E249-E255. https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000001159
  • Lippe, M., Wolf, A., Davis, A., Cormack, C., Ehrlich, O., Glover, T. L., Fasolino, T., Kirkpatrick, A. (2025). Nursing faculty perceptions and integration of primary palliative care content in undergraduate education: National and local institution assessments. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 27(6), 280-289. https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000001142
  • Ehrlich, O., Lackowski, A., Glover, T., & Vallerand, A. H. (2024). A scoping review of ‘functional pain goals’ in cancer pain research. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 68(3), 194-205. ·  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.05.026
  • Lippe, M., Wingett, G., Davis, A., Jizba, T., Ehrlich, O., Cormack, C. L., Fasolino, T., Glover, T. L., Meskis, S., LeBlanc, L. G., Weiss, D., & Kirkpatrick, A. J. (2024). Instruments for evaluating student learning outcomes in palliative care: A literature Review. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000001051
  • Ehrlich, O., Izumi, S., Bigger, S. E., & Johnson, L. (2023). Gag order laws threaten nursing education and health equity. Journal of Professional Nursing, (46), 27-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.02.005
  • Ehrlich, O. & Vallerand, A. H. (2022). Patient goals in hospice cancer pain management: A total pain case scenario. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 25(2) 75-81. DOI: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000929
  • Ehrlich, O., Schweitzer, N., & Berry, D. L. (2022). Functional goals and how palliative patients with cancer managed pain. Pain Management Nursing, 23(5),
  • 640-645. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2022.02.004
  • Ehrlich, O., Brandoff, D., Gorman, D. P., & Berry, D. L. Nurse-led motivational interviewing for setting functional cancer pain goals. Pain Management Nursing. Online May 2021. DOI: 1016/j.pmn.2021.03.003
  • Azizoddin, D. R., Adam, R., Kessler, D., Wright, A. A., Kematick, B., Sullivan, C., Zhang, H., Hassett, M. J., Cooley, M. E., Ehrlich, O., & Enzinger, A. C. Leveraging mobile health technology and research methodology to optimize patient education and self-management support for advanced cancer pain. Supportive Care in Cancer. Online March 2021. DOI:1007/s00520-021-06146-4
  • Chua, I. S., Ransohoff, J. R., Ehrlich, O., … Melanson, T. F. (2021). Laboratory-generated urine toxicology interpretations: A mixed methods study. Pain Physician, 24(2). E191-E201
• Presentations (Referreed)
  • Cyna, A., Ehrlich, O., Fernandez, J., Jensen, M. P., Lee, S. J., Rizzo, R., Yi Xin Tan, J., & Yeo, A. Faculty. Communication Skills to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes in Pain Treatments. (October 26, 2026). IASP 2026 World Congress on Pain, October 26-30, 2026. Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Ehrlich, O., Derusha, N., Johnson, H. E., Paramski, T., Holbrook, A., Schuck, C., Kuehl, K., Beaulieu, M., & Gazaway, S. (Presenting author, virtual slide talk). A community engaged board to build primary palliative care capacity in one rural Michigan county. 2026 Conference to Advance Participatory Science. Topical Discussion Session 18: Engaged Research Strategies from the Health Sciences, Friday, May 29, 2:45-3:45pm EDT.
  • https://connect.citizenscience.org/events/topical-discussion-session-18-engaged-research-strategies-from-the-health-sciences-friday-may-29-245-345pm-edt
  • LeBlanc, R. & Ehrlich, O., (Non-presenting author). Doula Pride – Perspectives among LGBTQ+ persons living with serious illness in a rural county: A qualitative evaluation study. 38th Annual Eastern Nursing Research Society Scientific Sessions, March 25-27, 2026. Abstracts for the 2026 ENRS Conference. Nursing Research, 75 (3), E25-E213. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000903.
  • Ehrlich, O., Presenter, Kruse, J. A., Lackowski, A., & Glover, T. G. Developing curriculum: Teaching baccalaureate nursing faculty to teach competency-based primary palliative care. [Poster]. The 2025 Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, February 5-8, 2025. Denver, CO.
  • Ehrlich, O., Lackowski, A., Glover, T., & Vallerand, A. H. Cancer Pain Goals Use: A Systematic Review. (2024). [Poster, abstract number: 1643336]. The 2024 Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, March, 20-23, 2024. Phoenix, AZ.
  • Colby, L. & Ehrlich, O. A theory substruction for hybrid virtual nursing. (2024). [Podium presentation, accepted]. 2024 Virtual Nursology Theory Week. March 21-25, 2024.
  • Pozzar, R. A., Gray, T., Underhill-Blazey, M., Nayak, M., Ehrlich, O., Haas, N. M., Enzinger, A. C., Hammer, M. J., & Berry, D. L. Engaging patient-family dyads to inform the development of a digital health intervention to support cancer caregivers. [Poster]. (2023). ASCO Quality Care Symposium; Oct 27-28, 2023; Boston, MA. ASCO Featured Abstract: https://ascopubs.org/op/qcs-23-featured-abstracts
  • Ehrlich, O. & Lackowski, A. A total pain approach in hospice care planning. [Poster]. (2023). 2023 Team Conference for Hospice & Palliative Care; September 29, 2023.
  • Colby, L., Ehrlich, O., & Bigger, S. E. Primary palliative care needs in the rural United States. (2023). [Poster]. 2023 International Rural Nursing Conference, July 27-28, 2023. Johnson City, TN.
  • Ehrlich, O., & Lackowski, A. A total pain approach in nursing care planning. (2023). [Poster]. Sigma Theta Tau Theta Psi at-large chapter, Scholarship Day, April 11, 2023.
  • Ehrlich, O., Schweitzer, N., & Berry, D. L. (2022). [Poster]. A content analysis of motivational interviews to describe cancer pain obstacles and goals. AAHPM-HPNA State of the Science in Hospice and Palliative Care 2022, virtual online, February 12-23, 2022.
• Presentations (Oral-Invited)
  • Ehrlich, O. Functional pain goals in nursing management of pain: A professional dialogue. American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Quarterly Education Online Meeting. August 7, 2023.
  • Ehrlich, O., Izumi, S., Bigger, S. E., & Johnson, L. (April 14, 2023). A talk with the authors: Gag order laws threaten nursing education and health equity (virtual). Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, UMass Amherst.
  • Ehrlich, O. (October 15, 2022). Virtual Live Workshop: The Role of the Nurse in Providing Psychological Support in Palliative Care. Webinar Series #8 Palliative Care. Aspek Psikologis. Universitas Gadja Mada. Yogyakarta, Indonesia.