Previous experience/background?

I have been a nurse for 27 years. Of those 27 years, I have worked in Maternal Child Nursing including Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care, and Pediatrics. I have 24 years experience of teaching nursing students in the clinical setting, with the last 11 years also teaching in the classroom, lab and simulation settings. 

What inspired you to become a nurse educator? 

When I was teaching clinical I learned that I loved teaching the students how to do things like assessments, giving medications, and making a positive impact by helping shape future nurses. I like to continue to learn and develop myself so I decided then that I wanted to continue my education so I could teach in the classroom to connect with students in a different way. 

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

I incorporate real-world experiences in my teaching by sharing things that I have done or things that I have seen as a nurse as it applies to the topic discussed in class. Another example would be a simulated activity to help the students learn, such as starting an IV on IV arms, case studies, or a case where the student will care for a client in the simulation lab. All of these things help bring the topics discussed in class to a relatable real-world experience. 

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

The thing that I enjoy the most about teaching is when the student puts the concepts together that we have learned in class and can apply them in the lab or clinical. This is often referred to as those light bulb moments. It is fun to see because the student usually gets excited that they understand the concept or get to experience something that was learned in class. 

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

There are many qualities that a successful nurse should have. Two of those qualities include the ability to critically think and to have integrity. I hope to instill critical thinking in nursing students by helping their thought processes with the use of active learning strategies such as case studies, experiential learning, and reflections. I hope to instill integrity by demonstrating and educating students on ethical behavior, honesty, transparency, and accountability. 

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

I am excited about guiding and mentoring students to develop their knowledge into nurses who can think critically and are practice-ready. The BSN program allows the faculty to incorporate evidence-based practice in hands-on technologies and teaching methods in the curriculum to ensure the students receive a high-quality education.