Dr. Tavernier is Assistant Professor of Nursing and Coordinator of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in Meridian. She is nurse scientist with a program of research in the individual context and priorities of the cancer patient. She has expertise with large qualitative data sets and conducting research in the clinical setting. Dr. Tavernier completed a translational research study funded by the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation on diffusion of a distress management guideline into practice. Dr. Tavernier also completed research on the Integrative therapies of Healing Touch and 5Rhythms® Movement Therapy. She has presented her research at numerous national conferences and also published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Tavernier authored a chapter on Symptom Distress in the textbook Cancer Symptom Management 4th Ed. She serves as a peer reviewer for the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing and Qualitative Health Research. She has served as a review panel member for the Oncology Nursing Foundation for research and awards.
She completed a post-doctoral fellowship through the College of Nursing at the University of Utah working with Dr. Susan Beck on a Robert Wood Johnson INQRI funded study on pain outcomes in U.S. hospitals. Dr. Tavernier is the recipient of a Presidential Scholarship for new health service researchers from AcademyHealth. She also received the 2012 Oncology Nursing Society award for excellence in writing for quantitative research.