I have been a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) since 1998 and have
practiced during that time here at the University of Iowa. Prior to beginning my
education as a nurse anesthetist, I practiced briefly in an adult cardiac unit in Des
Moines, and then came to the UI where I worked for five years in the Pediatric Intensive
Care Unit. With this background in pediatrics, I particularly enjoy the unique challenges
and rewards of pediatric anesthesia. 

In 2004 I completed my PhD in Science Education with an emphasis in human physiology.
This course of study has afforded me the privilege of helping to prepare new nurse
anesthetists for practice both in the classroom and in the operating room environment. I
teach an integrative physiology and assessment course for our nurse anesthesia students
focusing on essential anatomy, cellular and systems physiology, and pathophysiology, as
well as conducting classroom sessions in Pharmacology and Principles of Nurse Anesthesia
sequences. 

My research interests center on testing and performance assessment using high-fidelity
patient simulation systems. During the course of my doctoral preparation, I had the
privilege of working with an outstanding mentor in the areas of research design and
performance assessment, and am continuing to benefit from an ongoing collaboration. I am
looking forward to papers from my early work in the area of performance assessment and
high-fidelity patient simulation being published soon, and am continuing to focus my
research efforts on delineating best practices for education and performance assessment
in the simulation setting. 

I have edited or co-authored three books and written numerous papers on health-related
issues in the Pacific Islands , and have co-edited a book on the interplay between family
situation and the conduct of international fieldwork. I have also taught students and
practicing health professionals in Micronesia and Papua New Guinea, and have been
involved with global health studies at The University of Iowa since the mid-1980s. 

PhD in Science Education, specialization in human physiology, University of Iowa MSN,
University of Iowa College of Nursing, specilization in Nurse Anesthesia BSN, Grand View
College, Des Moines, IA

Articles

OpenURL

Thyroid Storm Precipitated by Stress in an Undiagnosed Hyperthyroid Patient: A Simulated Medical Crisis (with P. A. Leonard and J. L. Cutkomp), Simulation in healthcare (2011)
 

OpenURL

Operating room managerial decision-making on the day of surgery with and without computer recommendations and status displays (with F. Dexter and J. D. Lee), Anesthesia and Analgesia (2007)

BACKGROUND: There are three basic types of decision aids to facilitate operating room (OR) management...

 

OpenURL

Anesthesia concerns for children with tuberous sclerosis (with S. Septer and E. S. Thompson), AANA Journal (2006)

Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a relatively rare, autosomal dominant syndrome that displays high genetic penetrance...