“Essentially, we want the prototype we’re building to be able to immerse students in a realistic environment where they can practice solving problems and the environment can also assess and provide feedback," ~ Janine Hinton, PhD, MN, RN, CHSE

“They’re making great progress with creating this system,” Dr. Hinton says. “When this all gets woven together, we’ll have the foundation to be able to continue building on that work and also going after larger funding opportunities.”

The ISE prototype will ultimately be able to immerse students in a realistic environment where they can practice solving problems and receive assessments and feedback about their performance. “We don’t have a mind-reading system, so this is the closest we can get,” Dr. Hinton says, noting that many years of research lie ahead for the program.

After the initial building blocks have been laid, student responses will be compared to the results of experts solving particular problems using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) resources. “AI resources learn how they do it and then you can take someone who is a novice or an advanced beginner and have them try to solve the same problem,” Dr. Hinton says. “The AI agent should be able to find the difference and also provide some hints and clues to help the performance of the novice.”

In the end, Dr. Hinton aims to integrate the program into everyday student training, which will also be a boon to the faculty who typically take part in the student assessments. “We’re hoping that in some ways the system will be more objective, and that it will provide an efficient and eventually cost-effective way for students to learn in a formative assessment type approach and for summative assessment,” Dr. Hinton says. Currently, assessing nurse performance during a training can take up to 10 experts who review the recorded simulation test and render a fair judgement of the student’s performance. It’s an expensive approach that requires extensive training and stamina. “AI doesn’t get tired, it just needs electricity,” Dr. Hinton says. “If it’s set up well, then we can utilize the expertise of those faculty members for training and addressing things that the AI and the virtual coach can’t.”

Dr. Hinton hopes the Intelligence Simulation Environment prototype will go on to have an even greater impact of patient care than helping train students hone their problem-solving skills. “We have lots of problems in health care,” she points out. “It’s complex, it’s so challenging, and what we know about it changes.  We have so many mistakes and we’re expecting people to just be amazing and brilliant out of the gates long term and just be able to solve these problems.”

Currently, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in healthcare settings. With enough time and effort, the ISE may be able to put a dent in that troubling statistic. “If it works really well and there’s a way to transfer it to actual practice then maybe the nurses and healthcare providers of the future will be wearing little headsets or eyeglasses and they’ll take their little AI buddy with them,” Dr. Hinton says.

The Intelligent Simulation Project was made possible in part through funding from CUES, the Center for University Education Scholarship at the University of Arizona. Any views, findings, or recommendations hereby expressed are those of the author(s) only.

“The main goal of my thesis was to create the EDI Nursing Advisory Committee which was aimed at improving the overall academic experiences and successes of our underrepresented students," ~ Alexandria Scheid, UArizona Nursing BSN Honors Student

Scheid’s status as a rural first-generation college student earned her an Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) Scholarship, which provides eligible students with individualized mentoring, professional skills development, and preparation for RN to APRN certification and job placement. “The individuals who are curating the ANIE scholarships are the best,” Scheid says. “You feel so supported and you know they want to give you every opportunity possible.”

Tell us more about your mentorship experience in the BSN program?

I really felt supported by Dr. Timian Godfrey. She teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program but also helps lead the ANIE and the Indians in Nursing Career Advancement & Transition Scholars (INCATS) programs. Since I met her the summer before I started the BSN program, I contacted her for advice about my thesis. I knew I wanted to make positive change with health disparities within underrepresented groups. Dr. Godfrey told me about the College’s Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) task force, which is specifically aimed at improving the overall college climate surrounding equity diversity and Inclusion for our students, staff, and faculty. She brought me into the EDI task force, which is what I based my thesis on. Her mentorship helped me make so any different contacts and guided me in how to create different professional documents. She helped me apply to attend the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) conference and helped me create the poster that I ended up presenting. She really knows the power of investing in your mentees.

Can you tell us a bit more about your thesis?

My thesis is titled ‘Amplifying the Voices of Underrepresented Students in Nursing Education.’ It was actually a service-learning project, which is a project where a student works with a community agency to tackle whatever specific issue that they outline. They create goals and analyze the work that we do. This specific project was working with the EDI Task force to determine what underrepresented students need overall to be able to improve the college climate. We conducted four different town hall listening sessions, and analyzed the findings from the cross-sectional culture and climate survey that all Nursing students completed in 2020.

What was the primary goal of your thesis?

The main goal of my thesis was to create the EDI Nursing Advisory Committee which was aimed at improving the overall academic experiences and successes of our underrepresented students. What’s unique is that it’s for all the programs because I feel like all the programs in the College of Nursing are pretty siloed. BSN students really do not meet DNP students and they don’t meet PhD students and they don’t meet MEPN students, so this was an area where all these students could come voluntarily and work on different projects. For example, right now our project is creating diverse nurse leader boards that will be displayed in foyer of the College. Students also had a hand in creating our different College value statements, like the inclusive excellence statement, the inclusive pronouns statement, the practice of indigenous land acknowledgement. I know this will help the students after me and help all of us right now to cultivate leadership experiences, and overall help create more success for underrepresented students.

What does the future hold for you?

I’m currently interviewing for different opportunities, but I will be staying in Tucson because I love this community and I love the opportunity to serve within this community. My plan is to work at Banner and begin seeking opportunities in women’s and children’s care. As far as my future goals in life, I want to continue working as a nurse researcher so I’m hoping to apply for the Evidence Research Fellowship at Banner. Also, since I love working with students, I would love to someday be a clinical educator, possibly at the hospital and maybe even at the College of Nursing.

“As part of National Nurses Week, held in honor of the largest health-care workforce in the United States, eight nurse leaders from the University of Arizona College of Nursing will be honored by their peers during the annual 2022 Tucson Fabulous 50 Nurses gala held by the Tucson Nurses’ Week Foundation,"

Lauren Acosta, Assistant Clinical Professor

I feel humbled to have been nominated and selected to share this honor with some truly remarkable Tucson nurses. The last several years have challenged our profession in unforeseen ways, but as nurses we have risen to the occasion and continued to provide care, teach, and innovate. I have never been prouder to be a nurse. I am so grateful for this special recognition and feel incredibly privileged to be of service to my community, my students, and my patients.

Terry Bailey, Assistant Coordinator, Steele Innovative Learning Center

In my 45-year nursing career, I have been blessed with wonderful coworkers in both my bedside nursing role at Tucson Medical Center and in the Simulation Lab at the UA College of Nursing. The people I work with have made it possible to get through the challenges and hard times and celebrate the successes and rewards of our profession. In my clinical role, I have worked on the Women’s Care Unit caring for women in stages of life from childbearing to end of life. I have been inspired by their wisdom and strength and privileged to have the opportunity to make a difference during some of the most joyous and difficult times in their lives.

Moving away from the bedside and embracing education in nursing has been a natural transition. The pathway I took from LPN to ADN to BSN energized my love of learning and reinforced the reality that a good nurse needs to be a lifelong learner. Helping prepare nursing students at JTED, Pima Community College, Pima Medical Institute and now the UA College of Nursing is an honor and investment in our future.

Heather Carlisle, Associate Clinical Professor

I am delighted to be recognized with this group of 49 other fabulous nurses in 2022, as we come out the other side of the pandemic. My special nursing interests are older adults, end-of-life care, and existential distress -- all areas that have had special significance recently. It has always been a privilege to serve as a nurse, but even more so during these difficult times. I am so appreciative of this honor. Congratulations to all the other awardees!

Sara Dowdle-Simmons, Senior Lecturer

Receiving this award is boost to my soul. My favorite part of receiving this award is standing with my fellow nurses. You are my favorite people, and I am deeply honored and blessed to be recognized with you. This is a difficult time in the history of nursing, yet it has great potential for positive change.  I want to recognize the 1 million plus nurses who marched in Washington DC today and I pray they were able to articulate their passion in a way that will be respected and heard. Thankfulness and gratitude resonate in my soul because the dedication, your presence here represents to our profession, to our communities, to our patients and their families and in that there is great hope!

I believe the best nurses I know and one of the reasons I have stayed so long in the profession is having the “heart” for nursing, in addition to knowledge and skills. Patients, families and students can recognize if there is true caring and love that form the basis of all you do.

I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I am grateful to my family, friends and coworkers for the love and support that have helped me grow and become the nurse I am today. Nursing is not merely a job, it is who you choose to be.

Ambur Lindstrom-Mette, Associate Clinical Professor

Being nominated as a Fab 50 Nurse is a humbling experience.  Being recognized for the hard work and dedication that goes into educating nurses, supports my dedication to the profession. I strive for excellence in teaching and practice and this award is truly an honor.  I am proud to be a nurse, and to become one of the Fab 50 nurses.

Helena Morrison, Associate Professor

The Fab 50 award is a wonderful Tucson tradition that helps to recognize our nurses from the “bench” to bedside, bringing our nursing community together. Our entire Tucson nursing community is fabulous, and I’m honored to be a part of and recognized by this fabulous group.

Christy Pacheco, Assistant Clinical Professor

Joining the community of Fab 50 nurses is an honor and privilege. I enjoy working with students and community members to promote quality and access to care to improve health status and health outcomes. Mentoring students from underserved backgrounds is particularly rewarding. Being honored as a Fab 50 nurse highlights and recognizes the critical work we do as nurses, from caring for patients, to teaching the next generation of health professionals, and collaborating with communities. This recognition demonstrates the value and role we have as clinical leaders, both from the within the nursing community and for our stakeholders.

Jessica Rainbow, Assistant Professor

It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Tucson Nurses Foundation as a Fab 50 Nurse. I am passionate about improving the health and safety of nurses around the world and here in Tucson through my research. This recognition gives me fuel to keep going. Thank you!

“I approach this responsibility with a sense of respect and awe and appreciation of students, with a commitment to my own continued learning about what I teach students, and with an openness to questioning the status quo," ~ Pamela Reed, PhD, RN, FAAN

Author and co-author of more than 100 publications, Dr. Reed has a wealth of experience with which to guide her mentees. Her research has focused on well-being and mental health across the lifespan, spirituality at end-of-life, and moral distress and ethical concerns of frontline caregivers and terminally ill individuals. Her current scholarship focuses on nursing theory, philosophy, and scientific knowledge development, and work on intermodernism as a philosophy of nursing science.  A Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, she has also been a Visiting Scholar at several institutions, including New York University and Duke University. 

Earlier in life, she thought she wanted to become a band conductor, but the sexism inherent in the concert world led her shift her focus to nursing. “It was a choice in higher education that was very available to women, when other choices were less so, and I was also very interested in learning about human health and well-being and the sciences behind this,” Dr. Reed says. “Later I discovered something called nursing science that motivated me further to pursue a career in nursing.”

Desiring a work environment where new knowledge is being developed and taught – and fueled by the enjoyment of helping others understand the rationale behind nursing practice – she saw academic nursing as an opportunity to go beyond the daily practices of nursing to explore questions and new ways of thinking about nursing and healthcare.   

Dr. Reed’s philosophy of teaching is eminently suited to providing pivotal guidance to students seeking successful role models. She explains, “I have a lifespan developmental perspective of the learning process, where teaching is a process of educing, or bringing out ideas and abilities inherent in the student, along with providing resources, guidance, and encouragement for students to learn certain content – yes, but mostly to acquire tools for thinking, for inquiry, and for seeing the world in new ways.”

Of paramount importance to her is her ability to help students clarify and develop their particular area of inquiry that contributes knowledge for practice. Her goal is “to do all this in a way that stimulates their curiosity and brings joy if not excitement to their learning process.”  

At the end of the day, it’s a mission that brings Dr. Reed joy as well as meaning. “I approach this responsibility with a sense of respect and awe and appreciation of students,” she says, “with a commitment to my own continued learning about what I teach students, and with an openness to questioning the status quo.”

The 2022 Nurses Week Gala will be held on Saturday, May 7, at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.  Click here for details and registration.

“I feel in nursing, my teaching philosophy is providing my students with a safe and respectful learning environment to learn and grow so that they can ultimately provide quality care to their patients," ~ Michael Gerhart, MS, MEd, BA

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

My nursing background includes five years of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT nursing at Banner UMC-Tucson. Prior to nursing I was a middle school Social Studies teacher for 13 years. I am a UArizona MEPN grad and Native Tucsonan.

What drew you to a career in nursing?

After 13 years of teaching, I knew that I wanted to try something new. I knew that I wanted to still work with children and figured that nursing was a great opportunity to continue to work with them. Nursing also allowed me ample opportunity to utilize my previous teaching skills when working with my patients and their families.

What attracted you to the UArizona College of Nursing?

As a native Tucsonan and Graduate of the College of Nursing, I knew that when I wanted to get into nursing education full-time, and that the UA was the only place for me. My experience at the UA not only through the College of Nursing but with my other degrees was extremely rewarding and positive.

Can you tell us about your research/academic interests?

As someone new to the College of Nursing, my academic interests are still evolving. I honestly, am just learning the ropes right now.

What is your teaching philosophy?

I feel in nursing, my teaching philosophy is providing my students with a safe and respectful learning environment to learn and grow so that they can ultimately provide quality care to their patients.

What courses will you be instructing in the MEPN program?

Along with teaching clinicals, my main focus is to co-chair 509A (Fundamentals of Nursing Course) this summer.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my free time, my wife and I enjoy traveling, hiking and attending UA sporting events.

“It is really a great honor...There are not a lot of Native providers that specialize in psychiatric health," ~ Kimberly Yazzie, 2020 DNP-PMHNP Cohort; INCATS Scholar

“It is really a great honor,” Yazzie, a Phoenix resident who represents the Navajo, Hopi and Isleta Pueblo tribes, says. “I didn’t realize people were watching me enough to recommend me for an award.” As a member of a small group of Native students who are in UArizona Nursing’s DNP program, Yazzie believes her focus on mental health was one of the reasons she was nominated. “There are not a lot of native providers that specialize in psychiatric health,” she points out.

Growing up in Isleta, located about 15 miles south of Albuquerque, N.M., Yazzie had a unique exposure to a mix of rural and urban traditions. “I’m able to communicate with both sides and understand both the western and Native views,” Yazzie says. “I’m hoping that I can help combine them to help youth and young adults with their mental health.” After graduation this spring, she plans to further her goals by pursuing a career with Indian Health Services (IHS) at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, ideally in the realm of telehealth. The backing of the M. Stoklos Education Foundation will help secure her licensure and ensure that the first steps of her professional career will be smooth.

That’s all part of the plan for Michael Stoklos, whose Foundation’s mission is to ensure students exit the educational pipeline into their careers as seamlessly as possible. Stoklos, who briefly attended the University of Arizona in 1972 as a University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee transfer student, began as a Wildlife Biology Etymology student but quickly found his calling as a professional photographer. Although he has called Tucson home since then, his storied career led him from passionately documenting the American west and its native citizens to serving as a transcontinental photojournalist that led him throughout Central America as a freelancer for such periodicals as Time.

The son of a doctor and a nurse, he had long held a deep appreciation for medical practitioners – both western and Native – but when a Diné healer from the western part of the Navajo Reservation contacted him in the early 90s, the beginnings of his philanthropic philosophy were set in motion. “He wanted somebody to document his life and he wanted to get the word out about medicine,” Stoklos says. “I was picked to be the documenter.”

The work led to a wide range of native ceremonies, which Stoklos still attends to this day. “I had my western mind shredded,” he says. “I have an appreciation now of both science and medicine, both the traditional and the western. I’ve been privileged because I have a bit of the science and medical knowledge from my family and my own interests and I’m able to see it from that point of view.”

When Stoklos joined forces with his aunt, Mary Stoklos, in the late ‘90s to set up the M. Stoklos Foundation, the pair decided their efforts would benefit Native American medical students as a way of honoring both his father and the old medicine men who had been so instrumental in lighting his passion for alternative healing practices. In his 22-year involvement with the Foundation, he’s proud to have seen a pool of outstanding doctors graduate and begin impressive careers. “They’re doing amazing things in this country,” he says, pointing to students landing at such academic institutions as Stanford and Harvard. “Now we’re hoping to start the same thing on the nursing side.”

Relating how his mother was a ward nurse in 1940s Brooklyn when she met his father as a young doctor in the New York hospital system, he says, “I certainly know how important nurses are to anything being done in the hospitals.” When his mother passed in May 2021, he was moved by the wave of testimonials that flooded in from students she had cared for as a high school nurse. “I had hundreds of emails about how she had gotten them all through their various issues,” he says. As his awareness of the current nursing field grew, so did his desire to help Native students entering the profession. “When we learned more about nurse practitioners being so important out in the field, we decided that was the area that we will help out along with other nurses,” he says.

Stoklos is impressed by the amount of traditional medicine that is being practiced in Arizona. “It’s still active, it’s still alive,” he says, going on to reinforce his passion for holistic and alternative medicine. “It’s incorrect to call it alternative because when you’re with traditionalists they call their modern medicine, which is only some 200 years old. Native healers have been practicing for thousands of years and that seems to work. I’m proud that we still have that strength and heritage here, and our Foundation just wants to encourage it.”

“I enjoyed taking care of people. The feeling of helping others at their vulnerable times was very rewarding, so I decided to pursue a career in nursing," ~ Zhizhong “Z” Li, UArizona Nursing PhD student

What drew you to apply to UArizona's PhD program?

I decided to apply because I was convinced this program is the best fit for my PhD studies. The PhD program at the University of Arizona covers various focused areas of research excellence. The entire PhD program coursework is online, which is vital for nonlocal students like me. The Data and Systems Science track caught my eye because I enjoy technology and data-driven decision-making. The nursing faculty are from diverse backgrounds with amazing career achievements.

How would you describe your experience over the course of the program?

My experience throughout the program has been positive. I enjoy the content of the different courses. I appreciate that faculty are very supportive and incorporate various styles and techniques in teaching delivery. They are also very open to students' feedback and willing to adjust teaching strategies accordingly. The program is well-organized overall, with clear and timely communications. The student support services are instrumental in student success.

What is the focus of your research interests?

I am interested in human dynamics in healthcare. One specific focus is the contributing factors associated with acute care nurse leader turnover intention.

What has been the most meaningful part of your studies?

The most meaningful part of my studies is witnessing my self-growth as a new researcher. It is truly amazing to realize how much I have learned.

What has been your greatest takeaway from the program?

My greatest takeaway from the program is that it takes a great deal to become an established researcher. In the journey of PhD studies, each small step forward is a win. Consistency and tenacity will eventually lead to success.

Can you tell us a bit more about the three different poster presentations you will be doing at WIN?

I have three abstracts accepted for podium presentations at the WIN conference this year.  The first one is a scoping review that maps the current knowledge about the factors leading to turnover intention among nurse leaders in the acute care setting.  The second abstract is a research project that aims to examine the prevalence of turnover intention among nurse leaders in acute care hospitals, explore the characteristics of nurse leaders who intend to leave their position, and examine the relationships between the characteristics and nurse leader turnover intention. The third abstract is a process improvement project exploring innovative teaching strategies fostering inclusive excellence in undergraduate nursing clinical education.

What has your experience been with the nurse faculty loan program?

My experience has been very positive. The financial support through this program is substantial for me to complete the PhD study. Our college has a very structured approach to help the students with the NFLP process. There was a detailed presentation on NFLP each semester. The content delivery was very well organized and easy to understand. Students also had opportunities to have their questions answered. The program requires the students to complete specific courses focusing on faculty training. Even though I had already been employed as nursing faculty before entering the program, the knowledge and skills gained through those courses are very beneficial to my professional development.

Tell us about your post-graduation plans.

I currently work as nursing faculty. After graduation, I plan to remain in nursing academia and continue to grow as a nursing researcher with a long-term goal of conducting interventional research.

“The friendships I have gained and the tools I acquired to advance nursing science have been some of the most meaningful parts of my studies. They go hand in hand, because without the faculty mentors and colleagues, who I do consider friends, I would not have the resources, skills, or knowledge that I have now," ~ Christine Platt, UArizona Nursing PhD student

What drew you to apply to UArizona’s PhD program?

I have been lucky to have amazing nurse mentors who, among many other things, helped guide me to the University of Arizona’s PhD program. I found that the program was well respected.  I’m not located in Arizona, so the flexibility to take virtual classes would allow me to continue seeing patients as a nurse practitioner and fit the classes into my family life. The PhD program was designed to be online, not adopted as an afterthought, and allowed for excellent students from across the country to learn together. In fact, I’m closer with my PhD student cohort than with my in-person FNP student cohort. It has also allowed me to work with a diverse group of individuals that I may not have met had I chosen a program in my home state.  

How would you describe your experience over the course of the program?

The program is rigorous and tough, but it means the progress is highly rewarding. I’ve learned a lot. At times, it felt overwhelming, but my advisor and professors helped me through each step. I took on a heavy load and added the DNP degree as well. It meant balancing the two degrees, integrating my research agenda with clinical application.

What is the focus of your research interests?

The focus of my research is families raising children with disabilities, particularly in the foster care system. I have always been interested in how to help children who come from challenging backgrounds or have had difficult experiences affecting their health. I’m currently conducting a randomized control trial of a behavioral intervention to increase hardiness and connectedness in foster families. Hearing the responses and analyzing the data has been very exciting. It’s gratifying to see interventions, designed with and by nurses, making a real difference.

 What has been the most meaningful part of your studies?

The friendships I have gained and the tools I acquired to advance nursing science have been some of the most meaningful parts of my studies. They go hand in hand, because without the faculty mentors and colleagues, who I do consider friends, I would not have the resources, skills, or knowledge that I have now. The professors at the University of Arizona are truly skilled experts in their area. Learning from them has been exceedingly rewarding.

 What has been your greatest takeaway from the program?

Where to begin? There have been so many intangible benefits and moments of growth during the program. I’ll be taking away skills that have opened a meaningful research agenda to discover new knowledge; skills to clinically implement change and improve the lives of vulnerable communities.  These skills are priceless — simply too hard to quantify. I remember struggling through the advanced statistics course and now, two years later, I’m easily employing these skills to analyze data from my recent randomized control trial. I’m taking away knowledge that I just could not have gained any other way.

Tell us about your post-graduation plans.

I love my current clinical practice and am also looking forward to teaching the next generation of nurses. I plan to pursue a position in academia that allows me to teach and produce meaningful research alongside my clinical practice.

“Nursing is a holistic science that considers the entire person and incorporates relevant theories and concepts to improve clinical care and prevention and management of chronic disease. Nurses are the trusted point of contact for patients. It’s an honor to work together alongside nurses as part of an interdisciplinary team to improve the health of Arizonans," ~ Meghan Skiba, PhD, MS, MPH, RDN

What attracted you to the UArizona College of Nursing?

UArizona College of Nursing is a research powerhouse, a leader in health sciences, and is a groundbreaker for innovations in aging. I have the opportunity to work with brilliant colleagues with diverse expertise in chronic disease, social determinants of health, integrative health, and aging, as well as data science and precision wellness. The College also is connected to research campus-wide, including the Collaboratory for Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment and University of Arizona Cancer Center. I really enjoy working with and mentoring students; the undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Nursing are engaged and motivated to pursue excellence in healthcare.

Can you describe your passion for connecting cancer survivors to the skills and health behaviors that will enable them to live their healthiest lives?

Most of us have had cancer impact us in some way at some point in our lives, either as the survivor or as the friend or family member of a survivor. It’s essential to remember people are represented by statistics of cancer incidence and mortality and all people are deserving of health. The World Health Organization defines health as: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” A nutritious diet and engaging in physical activity have numerous health benefits. Building skills to improve these behaviors can promote optimal health. Additionally, because of the bidirectionality cancer diagnosis and treatment can have on the individual and their social connections, it is important to consider how our interventions can extend reach into those networks to magnify population health.

Can you tell us more about your research interests?

My research takes an integrative approach to develop health promotion interventions utilizing nutrition, exercise, and technology to mitigate biological aging among cancer survivor dyads. My three primary research areas are 1) intersection of diet and physical activity in cancer prevention and control, 2) digital and metabolic biomarkers of accelerated aging in adult cancer survivors, and 3) community based-participatory research methods and theory-informed clinical trial design.

How does your advanced training in nutrition science, epidemiology and health behavior inform your approach to nursing?

My multidisciplinary training informs my approach to nursing research through different perspectives. I aim to understand synergistic effects of nutrition and exercise and their roles in managing accelerated biological aging by considering the socioecological context in which health behaviors and health outcomes exist including social determinants, beliefs, skills, and equity. This leads to research designed to result in ecologically valid data and outcomes that are meaningful to patients and providers.

What is your teaching philosophy?

The pillars of my teaching philosophy are to engage students with learning inside and outside of the classroom, create a respectful, high-performance environment, and develop an effective healthcare workforce of integrity. My approach to teaching includes collaboration and experiential learning integrating curriculum and techniques that evolve with current research, social circumstances, and collective knowledge. I aim to empower learners through personalized pathways and increase accessibility to research by prioritizing lived experience, relevance, and acceptability.

Where are you from originally?

Depends on how far back you want to go. I was born in North Carolina and spent my early childhood in South Carolina before moving to Arizona around the time I started kindergarten. I grew up and attended primary and secondary school in Vail, Ariz. I have trained and worked at the University of Arizona, University of Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Oregon Health & Science University. I now permanently call Tucson and the University of Arizona home

What do you like to do in your free time?

One of my favorite ways to spend time is travel and adventuring to camp and hike with my family. I also enjoy yoga, indoor rock climbing, gardening, reading, DIY home projects, and tabletop gaming. Cooking is my love language and I love to bake and create new recipes.

“The DNP program's student-centered educational approach supports the achievement of exceptional outcomes while striving for unsurpassed excellence. We are proud of our US News and World Report ranking and will continue implementing innovative educational models that propel students forward," ~ Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DNP Program Director

With DNP prepared advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in demand across the health care industry, our hybrid program allows APRN students to obtain their doctorate in 2.5 years (full-time). The DNP program offers 5 clinical specialties, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The UArizona DNP program utilizes a mixture of online didactic coursework, on-campus intensives and clinical placements that are specific for the students APRN specialty.

"The DNP program's student-centered educational approach supports the achievement of exceptional outcomes while striving for unsurpassed excellence,” said DNP Program Director Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP. “We are proud of our US News and World Report ranking and will continue implementing innovative educational models that propel students forward." 

With DNPs in demand across the health care industry, our hybrid program allows students to obtain their doctorate in as little as 2.5 years (full-time). The UArizona DNP program utilizes a mixture of online didactic coursework, on-campus intensives and on-ground practicum and clinical placements.

For a full list of UArizona U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools.