Nell Hodgson School of Nursing assistant clinical Professor LisaMarie Wands, PhD, RN, CNE is a recipient of the 2019 National League for Nursing (NLN) Research in Nursing Education Research Grant for her study on the effect of embedding cognitive rehearsal training in high-fidelity simulation, specifically with Baccalaureate students during the transition to nursing practice. Wands is designated as the Dorothy Otto Research Award recipient.

The study centers on strengthening nursing students’ skills in effectively responding to incivility. This has the potential to reduce stress associated with transitioning to nursing practice and enhance communication when working within the interdisciplinary healthcare team. The desired outcome of the study is that students who first receive the training will be able to apply cognitive rehearsal strategies when encountering uncivil behaviors within the simulation, along with applying the skill in their first year of professional nursing practice.

The NLN Research in Nursing Education Grants Program supports high-quality studies that contribute to the development of the science of nursing education by funding grants that promote diversity in research topics. The NLN-funded grants also support investigators who demonstrate tenacity and employ innovative approaches to advance the field of nursing education research.

Wands holds a doctorate from Florida International University, where she sought to understand issues that complicate the health of veterans who returned home from serving in the Middle East and the strategies necessary to overcome these issues. She joined Emory University in 2014 from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she was a research associate and VA Quality Scholar with the Tennessee Valley Health System. Wands currently serves as the Director of Simulation Resources in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.