Previous experience/background?

My first job as a nurse was on a Cardiac/Heart Failure/Telemetry floor. I worked and went back to school for my BSN, and then started as an adjunct where I educated students in the clinical and lab settings. During this time, I started my Master’s in nursing education because I had a passion for teaching. I graduated with my MSN in 2020, and worked as a Clinical Coordinator. I started at UNI in July 2023 as the Academic Coordinator of Nursing Education, and will be graduating with my DNP in the Fall of 2024. 

What inspired you to become a nurse educator? 

My inspiration to become a nurse educator was my personal experience when I was in nursing school. The faculty were passionate about teaching and amazing at creating a learning environment for me that made me become a successful and caring nurse. I also loved being a preceptor and mentor for nursing students when I worked as a bedside nurse. When I became a clinical instructor, I enjoyed seeing students excel and connect the knowledge they learned from the classroom into the clinical setting. 

How do you incorporate real-world experiences into your teaching? 

Having experience as a bedside nurse helped me to create a learning environment for students that helps them understand the importance of providing quality care to patients. Creating a positive learning environment with “real-life scenarios” helps students evolve and critically think because of the support faculty can give them within the clinical, lab, and classroom setting. I also like to discuss how crucial collaboration, communication, and clinical judgment can be as a nurse. 

Can you share a memorable teaching moment that significantly impacted your students?

 I love teaching head-to-toe assessments, and watching students hear and notice normal and abnormal sounds in a patient’s lungs and heart. A complete assessment is a skill that nurses perform every day on their patients and is a skill that can help you determine what interventions our patients need. 

In your opinion, what qualities make a successful nurse, and how do you instill these qualities in your students? 

A successful nurse to me, is being able to communicate effectively with your team members, patients, and families. It will also be important to practice self-care, provide compassionate care, be professional, positive, and empathetic. The nursing faculty and leadership at UNI will help develop students' critical thinking, clinical judgment, and problem-solving skills throughout our curriculum. 

What makes you the most excited about UNI’s new Nursing program? 

I am excited to be a part of teaching our future nursing students. This program will allow our students to be able to learn the knowledge, and apply that knowledge in labs, clinicals, and simulations. Our integrated classrooms will give our students the ability to practice and be proficient in nursing skills prior to graduation.  

Anything else you'd like to share?

The best advice I can give you is to ask questions, be positive, and always act professionally. Nurses are the most trusted professionals in the United States and we, as nurses, are proud of that.