Leadership & Faculty

NURSING@SIMMONS

Simmons School of Nursing faculty are distinguished experts who regularly practice in their fields. Widely recognized for their expertise and achievements, they serve as leaders and consultants in a range of national and international health care settings. Faculty members teach both on campus and online courses.

While their fields of interest vary, the School of Nursing professors share a passion for teaching and mentoring students. They bring their expertise and experience to every class session, and as a Nursing@Simmons student, you will interact with these inspiring teachers in real time.

Request more information about Nursing@Simmons, or speak with an Admission Counselor at 1-855-461-7466.

Tanya Cohn

Assistant Professor of Practice
Foundational Courses Coordinator
Ph.D., M.Ed., RN

Tanya Cohn, Ph.D., M.Ed., RN, is an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Nursing at Simmons School of Nursing. She has been teaching at Simmons for the last three years, since the inception of Nursing@Simmons. Her teaching focuses on research across the life span and scholarly activities for developing best evidence. Dr. Cohn serves as the coordinator of the foundational courses for Nursing@Simmons. She also holds a voluntary faculty position with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University in Miami, Florida.

In addition to her role in academia, Dr. Cohn works as a nurse scientist at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami, Florida. In this position she is able to assist with research development in the clinical setting with inter-professional care teams.

Dr. Cohn has completed multiple research studies individually and within inter-professional teams, which have included dissemination at the local, national, and international levels. Her research topics of interest include acute and family medicine outcomes; community risk factors; social determinants of health; cardiovascular risk in Hispanics; nursing-sensitive indicators; and healthy work environments, along with professional development.

Education:

  • Ph.D., Nursing, Rush University
  • MSN, Adult and Women’s Health Nursing, Simmons University
  • BSN, Simmons University
  • Master of Education, Harvard University
  • B.A., Psychology, Simmons University

Publications:

Grafton, T., Bassett, A., & Cohn, T. (accepted for publication, 2017). The role of confidence in self-care of patients with a diagnosis of heart failure. MEDSURG Nursing.

Sherman, R. O. & Cohn, T. (2016). Improving your coaching skills. American Nurse Today, 11(5), 28–31.

Sherman, R. O. & Cohn, T. (2015). Boosting your influence. American Nurse Today, 10(12), 1–7.

Cohn, T. (2015, September). Strengthening nursing engagement in research and evidence-based practice with a successful MSN student research practicum. The Florida Nurse, 63(3), 15.

Cohn, T. & Llera-Lora, T. (2015). Using a peer-driven facilitative review process to establish feasibility and support ethical review of clinical research. Applied Clinical Research, Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs, 2(1), 7–11.

Thomasos, E., Forges, E., Judkins-Cohn, T., Nerey, J., Lindgren, C. L., & Spivey, S. (2015). Clinical partners’ perceptions of patient assignments according to acuity. MEDSURG Nursing24(1), 39–45.

Busse, J. C., Cohn, T. M., Butao, R., & Lamoureux, J. (2014). Association between severity of anemia and 30-day readmission rate: Archival data of 847 patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Advances in Nephrology, 2014, 1–6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/261531

Arinal, M., Cohn, T., & Avila-Quintana, C. (2014). Evaluating the impact of medication cabinets in patients’ rooms on a medical-surgical telemetry unit. MEDSURG Nursing23(2), 77–83.

Judkins-Cohn, T., Ward, J., Owen, M., Kielwasser-Withrow, K. K. (2014). Ethical principles of informed consent: Exploring the dual role of the nurse as care provider and research. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing45(1), 35–42.

Lozano, L., Barthold, M., & Judkins-Cohn, T. (2014). Using the Clinical Information System Implementation Evaluation Scale (CISIES) as a clinical implementation strategy. Computers, Informatics, Nursing32(3), 138–143.

Lamoureux, J., Judkins-Cohn, T., Butao, R., McCue, V., & Garcia, F. (2013). Measuring perceptions of shared governance in clinical practice: Psychometric testing of the RN-focused Index of Professional Governance (IPNG). Journal of Research in Nursing19(1), 69–87.

Harris, D. & Cohn, T. (2014). Designing and opening a new hospital with a culture and foundation of Magnet®: An exemplar in transformational leadership. Nurse Leader12(4), 62–68, 77. 

Allen, R., Judkins-Cohn, T., deVelasco, R., Forges, E., Lee, R., Clark, L., & Procunier, M. (2013). Moral distress among healthcare professionals at a health system. Journal of Nursing Administration’s Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation15(3), 111–118. 

Figueroa, S., Bulos, M., Forges, E., & Judkins-Cohn, T. (2013). Stabilizing and retaining a quality nursing workforce through the use of the Married State Preceptorship Model. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing44(8), 365–373.

Judkins-Cohn, T. (2010). Verbal abuse: The words that divide: Impact on patient care nurses and their perceived solutions. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research, 10(4), 1–14.

Expertise:

  • Research design and development at the project level
  • Research program development at the organizational level
  • Statistical analysis
  • Tool development and psychometric testing
  • Ethics in research

Why I Teach:

“I teach because I believe nurses and nurse practitioners are at the forefront of health care and in the position to lead evidence-based and patient-centered care. Therefore, I strive to incorporate clinically relevant examples in research courses to assist graduate students in strengthening their understanding and use of evidence to impact patient outcomes. It is my ultimate goal to empower my students to be change agents and scholarly leaders wherever they practice.”

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Carmen V. Harrison

Professor of Practice
Master Course Lead of the Foundations Curriculum
PhD, APRN, WHNP

Carmen V. Harrison, PhD, APRN, WHNP is a Professor of Practice in the School of Nursing at Simmons University. She has been teaching at Simmons since 2016. Dr. Harrison serves as the Master Course Lead of the Foundations Curriculum.

Dr. Harrison’s clinical experience is varied and includes geriatric, medical-surgical, community health, and obstetrical nursing. She is certified as a women’s health care nurse practitioner by the National Certification Corporation and is dedicated to providing comprehensive care to underserved women.

Dr. Harrison’s research interests include assessing innovative curricular models, diversity in nursing education, and the menopausal experience. She has delivered numerous presentations for local, regional, and national nursing education conferences. Dr. Harrison is regarded as a leader among the nursing profession, as she was honored as a national Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar. She is a member of the National League for Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Education:

  • PhD, Nursing, University of Missouri – Kansas City
  • MSN, University of Cincinnati
  • BSN, Miami University
  • ADN, Miami University

Research/Publications:

Harrison, C.V. (2018). Predicting success for associate degree nursing students in a concept-based curriculum. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 13(3), 135-140. doi: 10.1016/j.teln.2018.01.005

Harrison, C.V. (2016). Evaluating the outcomes of a concept-based curriculum in an associate degree nursing program (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (UMI No. 10102709).

Harrison, C.V., & Pittard, S.K. (2015). Teaching-learning strategies in a concept based curriculum. In L. Caputi (Ed.), Innovations in Nursing Education: Building the Future of Nursing (Vol. 3, pp. 59-62). Washington, DC: National League for Nursing.

Expertise:

  • Curriculum Design
  • Innovative Teaching-Learning Strategies
  • Women’s Health Nursing

Why I Teach:

I teach because education is the key to success. Being able to assist students in achieving their dreams is a rewarding experience. Education can help to provide opportunities for so many. It can be life changing!

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Norma Mann

Professor of Practice
Clinical Decision Making
MSN, FNP-BC

Norma Mann, MSN, FNP-BC, has been a nurse practitioner for 20 years and has been teaching nurse practitioner students for 16 years. Her practice experience includes occupational health, pediatrics, emergency care, and family practice.

Mann became full-time faculty at Simmons in January 2016 after having been employed for 18 months as adjunct faculty.

Education:

  • M.S., Nursing, Adult Nurse Practitioner, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
  • B.S., Nursing, The College of New Jersey
  • Post-Master’s Certificate, Family Nurse Practitioner, The College of New Jersey
  • Post-Master’s Certificate, Nursing Education, Rutgers University

Expertise:

“My expertise involves providing primary care for patients across the life span. Teaching students is also a very important component to my practice. Not only do I teach didactic courses, I also act as a preceptor for students when possible.”

Why I Teach:

“I teach because I personally love learning and having the ability to help mold the future of nurse practitioner practice. My hope for students is that they strive to be excellent clinicians, learn to ask questions, and seek to understand the ‘why’ of what they do. This is truly my joy!”

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Dr. Heather Shlosser

Nursing@Simmons Program Director
DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Dr. Heather Shlosser has more than 20 years of nursing experience, in which she has spent time in both clinical and academic arenas. Previously, she worked at Frontier Nursing University (FNU), as an associate professor in the FNP and PMHNP programs. At FNU, she also served as Program Director and developed and launched the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program.

Dr. Shlosser brings a wealth of clinical experience to her role as Program Director at Nursing@Simmons. She works in full-spectrum clinical practice as a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She has a clinical focus in and passion for integrated behavioral medicine within primary care, psychopharmacology, addictions medicine, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness therapy. She has spearheaded the development and implementation of integrated behavioral health programs within primary care and specialty medicine for multiple healthcare organizations. Her clinical experience includes full-scope primary care and outpatient psychiatric care.

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Karen Harvey Teeley

Associate Professor of Practice
M.S., RN, AHN-C, CNE

Biography:

Karen Harvey Teeley has been teaching full time at Simmons University since 2002 and has more than 25 years of experience in community health nursing. As a home care nurse, she has held positions from field nurse to vice president of a home health care organization. She has also taught at Emmanuel College and the University of Rhode Island. Ms. Teeley holds an advanced certificate in nursing education (CNE) from the National League for Nursing and an advanced certificate in holistic nursing (AHN-BC). For more than 12 years, Ms. Teeley has been involved in the design and development of online and blended courses. She has been a key contributor to  and serves as a faculty resource for blended and online learning development. Ms. Teeley was a 2009 HITS (Health Information Technology Scholar) recipient.

In addition to teaching at Simmons University, Ms. Teeley is a part-time instructional designer for BAYADA Home Health Care, an international home care company. She develops and delivers virtual training workshops in leadership development.

Ms. Teeley has authored several articles for the Journal of Nursing Education and most recently published a chapter, “Multimedia in the Classroom: Creating Learning Experiences with Technology,” in Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing and Related Health Professions (Sixth Edition) by Martha Bradshaw and Arlene Lowenstein.

Ms. Teeley has also provided the voiceovers for numerous e-learning modules for a variety of companies and publishers such as Jones & Bartlett Learning and Jigsaw Learning.

Education:

  • M.S., Community Health Nursing/Education track, Boston University
  • B.S., Nursing, Fairfield University

Research and Publications:

Ms. Teeley has contributed to a number of nursing publications, including several contributions to the Journal of Nursing Education.

  • “Incorporating CQI Concepts into Student Community Health Projects”, a “Syllabus Selection” highlight in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Nursing Education.
  • “Incorporating Quality Improvement Concepts and Practice into a Community Health Nursing Course”. February 2006, Journal of Nursing Education.
  • “Course Design Strategies for the Accelerated Nursing Student: Hybrid Web Design”  Sept 2007. Journal of Nursing Education. Vol. 46, No. 9
  • “Multimedia in the Classroom: Creating Learning Experiences with Technology” in Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing 2013 Martha Bradshaw and Arlene Lowenstein, Jones and Bartlett, Boston
  • Current Research: on the value of flipped classrooms for student preparation and engagement.

Expertise:

  • Curriculum Design
  • Blended and Online Instructional Design
  • Community Health Nursing
  • Public Health
  • Health Promotion
  • Holistic Health Care
  • Caring at the End of Life

Why I Teach:

“I love teaching. I thoroughly enjoy working with students and watching their curiosity and interest develop throughout the learning process. I enjoy creating meaningful learning experiences that help connect the content to real-world problems. I believe that all students are experienced adult learners, capable of deep learning and achieving personal and professional goals. I believe that each student brings a wealth of experience to the learning environment, including a rich history of work, life, and educational experience. Each student individually brings value and meaning, and collectively each class creates a unique learning milieu.”

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Sarah Volkman

Professor of Nursing (Undergraduate and Graduate)
Sc.D.

Biography:

Dr. Volkman is a professor at Simmons University and has been involved in preparing nursing students in the basic science content since 1989. She teaches Advanced Human Pathophysiology as well as the Integrative Sciences curriculum for the Direct Entry Program, including Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Anatomy and Physiology. She also teaches in the Nursing@Simmons program, including Biology for Nursing Professionals and Human Pathophysiology.

Dr. Volkman holds a joint appointment at the Harvard School of Public Health in Immunology and Infectious Diseases, where she is a principal research scientist. Her research focuses on using genetic approaches to understand Plasmodium falciparum, a causative agent of human malaria. She uses these approaches to understand transmission dynamics and also to identify novel mechanisms of drug resistance in this important human pathogen. She is a councilor for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network. Dr. Volkman works with international agencies including the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Education:

  • Sc.D., Harvard University
  • B.A. University of California, San Diego

Research and Publications:

Dr. Volkman has written and contributed to numerous health care publications throughout her career. You can see the full list of Dr. Volkman’s contributions here.

Expertise:

Dr. Volkman is an expert on the biology of Plasmodium falciparum that causes human malaria.  Her work focuses on understanding genetic variation in this organism and how to exploit this information for developing new diagnostic tools, for understanding disease transmission dynamics, and to identify genetic loci that contribute to drug resistance in this organism.

Why I Teach:

“I teach because it is through teaching that I learn. Teaching and learning are intimately integrated, and I love to watch students mature in their understanding and increase their confidence in the scientific principles that underlie the human disease process.”

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