Biography

Shelia H. Swift is a clinical associate professor and the executive associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing. Swift has over 30 years of experience as a registered nurse in various clinical, leadership, and academic positions. She has been involved in nursing education for the past 14 years, coordinating and teaching in both undergraduate and graduate programs and serving as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at UT prior to her current position. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Technological University (1992) and her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Tennessee (2013). Swift’s research interests focus on the registered nurse’s work environment, nursing errors, and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes. She is a 2017 AACN Leadership for Academic Nursing Programs Fellow and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She has received the Faculty Excellence Award (2017), the Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award (2015), and the Sigma Theta Tau Outstanding Dissertation Award, Gamma Chi Chapter (2014).

Biography

Dr. Tami Wyatt earned her graduate degrees from the University of Virginia; a PhD in nursing research, a Masters in critical care nursing, and a Master’s in instructional design and technology. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Radford University.

Dr. Wyatt has been a nurse educator for over 25 years and is a certified nurse educator and healthcare simulation educator. Dr. Wyatt is the Torchbearer Professor, the Associate Dean of Research, and a Co-Director of the Health Information Technology & Simulation Lab along with her research partner. Dr. Wyatt is also the Co-Vice Chair of the University of Tennessee’s institutional review board (IRB) and is leading an IRB accreditation work group.

Dr. Wyatt has served as a district President for the Virginia Nurses Association and President of Gamma Chi, a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. She is currently a co-owner and President of Academic Technology Innovations. Dr. Wyatt has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and from private corporations for her work related to technology improving consumer and professional health education. She is a Fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse program, a Fellow in the Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Nursing Education. Dr. Wyatt has also been a Scholar of the Harvard Macy Institute and a Scholar of the Mobile Health Training Institutes of the National Institutes of Health. She is an active member in several professional simulation and healthcare informatics organizations. Dr. Wyatt also serves as a reviewer for several peer reviewed journals in her area of expertise and serves as a grant reviewer for the National League for Nursing.

Dr. Wyatt’s Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Biography

Dr. Neal earned a DNP as a PMHNP from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, MSN as a PNP from Emory University, BSN from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and a ADN from East Tennessee State University.

Dr. Neal is a Clinical Associate Professor and is the Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs at the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing. She teaches mental health content in graduate-level courses, DNP courses, and serves as advisor and faculty chair for student DNP Projects and undergraduate Honors students. Dr. Neal’s scholarly activities are in the area neuroplasticity as it relates to resiliency with an emphasis on wellness skills taught in unconventional settings.

Dr. Neal is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, American Nurses Association, and Tennessee Nurses Association. Additionally, she is a member of the APRN Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Network and the National Task Force for the review and revision of the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs.

Dr. Neal’s Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Biography

Susan Henley Hébert, Ph.D., RN, CHSE, is the Assistant Dean of Simulation for the College of Nursing and collaborator of the Health Innovation Technology in Simulation (HITS) Lab. She oversees all undergraduate and graduate curricula simulation activities, including integration, faculty development, simulation research, and program administration. A nurse innovator, Susan researches and develops technologies for healthcare education and is an expert consultant in simulation accreditation, space design, and academic integration. Her clinical background includes Neonatal Intensive Care and clinical nurse education. She holds a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Tennessee, an M.S. in Medical Simulation from Drexel College of Medicine, and a B.S. in Nursing from Illinois Wesleyan University. Susan is formally trained in standardized patient use and simulation-based mastery learning. She is a member of the National League of Nursing Simulation Leader Program, serves on the External Relations Committee of the International Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the Healthcare Standards of Best Practice Board for the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, and is the East Tennessee Director of the Tennessee Simulation Alliance.

Biography

Dr. Thomas holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Education (major: educational psychology) as well as an MSN (major: mental health nursing), all received from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Thomas chairs the PhD Program and teaches doctoral courses at the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing. She focuses on phenomenological approaches to teaching and research. She chairs a transdisciplinary phenomenology research group that meets weekly in the College of Nursing. Primary research foci are women’s mental health issues and recovery from abuse.

Dr. Thomas has served as Editor of “Issues in Mental Health Nursing” since 1997. Currently, she serves on the board of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses Foundation and the Expert Panel on Violence of the American Academy of Nursing. She also is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Thomas’ Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Dr. Brewer is a clinical professor and DNP Program Chair in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has been a nurse for over 30 years, practicing obstetrics and neonatal nursing, including acute pediatric respiratory disorders. Her teaching and advisement duties are in the DNP program, including evidence-based practice (EBP), quality improvement (QI), and DNP project design and evaluation. Her practice scholarship includes understanding the organizational culture of practice and academic settings for implementation and beliefs towards adopting evidence-based practice (EBP). She has published and presented on various topics, including breastfeeding support, EBP and QI initiatives, effects of synthetic cannabinoid use, best practices in DNP education, mentorship for practice scholars, and team-based learning to improve nursing students’ standardized test scores.

Dr. Brewer earned her DNP in Educational Leadership from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, an MSN in Nursing Education from Drexel University, and a BSN in Nursing from Miami University in Oxford, OH, her native hometown. She maintains national certification as an inpatient obstetrical nurse (RNC-OB), is a certified lactation counselor (CLC), and is certified in evidence-based practice (EBP-C).

Dr. Brewer is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN), and Sigma Theta Tau. She is a peer reviewer for Nursing for Women’s Health and Nursing Outlook. In addition, she serves as a consultant and mentor in EBP and QI for healthcare organizations and curricular design and best practices for DNP projects for nursing programs throughout the United States.

Biography

Dr. Thompson earned a PhD in Nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore and a MS in Nursing and BSN from the University of Michigan. She completed a post-master’s certificate in nursing education at Western Michigan University.

Dr. Thompson teaches in the undergraduate programs at the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing. Her areas of specialty are statistics, curriculum development, and program evaluation.

Dr. Thompson is a CCNE Team Leader for Nursing Program Accreditation. She is a volunteer at the American Red Cross.

Dr. Thompson’s Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Beeler, a Clinical Associate Professor and ABSN Track Chair, began her nursing career by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from East Tennessee State University. She continued her education at the same institution, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and later earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in Nursing Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Beeler’s leadership experience includes serving as a unit manager and director in acute care settings across two hospitals within a large healthcare system. She also holds a Post-Master’s Certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Beeler furthered her education by earning a PhD in Educational Psychology and Research with a focus on Adult Learning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. With extensive experience in adult health and critical care nursing, she has dedicated over 12 years to undergraduate nursing education. As the current Accelerated BSN Chair, she actively teaches throughout the ABSN curriculum.

Beeler is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and clinical practice, leading initiatives in both classroom and clinical innovation. She is a board-certified Medical-Surgical Nurse and a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. Her research interests include self-directed learning, resilience, emotional intelligence, and strategies to combat nursing burnout.

Known for her commitment to teaching excellence, Beeler is deeply dedicated to fostering student potential and advancing the field of nursing education.