Anita Thigpen Perry School of Nursing Faculty Members Named 2011 American Academy of Nursing Fellows

Pat Allen, R.N., Ed.D., professor and director of the Center for Innovation in Nursing Education (CINE), in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Anita Thigpen Perry School of Nursing, and Sharon Decker, R.N., Ph.D., professor and director of The F. Marie Hall SimLife Center and Covenant Health System Endowed Chair in Simulation and Nursing Education, will be inducted as American Academy of Nursing Fellows on Oct. 15.

Allen and Decker are among 142 nursing leaders nominated for this honor by current academy fellows for outstanding achievements in nursing.

Allen addresses nursing workforce challenges by creating innovative approaches to education. Under Allen’s leadership, CINE has assisted several nursing schools in launching new nursing education programs.

Through a program funded by a $1 million Texas Workforce Commission American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, Allen also works on the Nursing Education Capacity Summit Texas Team executive committee and tactical team to explore ways for nursing schools to increase student capacity.

Decker promotes quality, safe patient care by transforming clinical education through simulation technology. She engages faculty in the development of teaching activities to enhance interdisciplinary communication, teamwork and collaboration in simulation. Largely because of Decker’s efforts, TTUHSC is home to one of the nation’s state-of-the-art interdisciplinary simulation centers.

The American Academy of Nursing is made up of more than 1,600 nursing leaders in education, management, practice, policy and research. The academy’s mission is to serve the public and nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis and dissemination of nursing knowledge.

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