faculty profile

Megan Simmons DNP, PMHNP-BC

Director, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Lifespan) Specialty
Assistant Professor

Bio

Dr. Simmons joined the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing faculty in 2013. She has been a board certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) since 2005 when she graduated from Vanderbilt?s MSN program.

Since 2006, Dr. Simmons has practiced as a consultant in long-term care facilities providing psychiatric assessment and medication management services.

She obtained her DNP from Vanderbilt University in 2013, and her scholarly project assessed the off-label usage of antipsychotic medications in Middle Tennessee nursing homes.

Dr. Simmons is active in multiple professional organizations, and serves as the chair of the Geropsych Focus Group within the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association.

Her current research interests include geriatric psychopharmacology, mental health care of older adults and long-term care residents, and treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Education

Post Masters in Nursing, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (Family PMH)
DNP, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (Nursing Practice Research)
MSN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
BA, Elon University

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

Geriatric psychopharmacology
Mental health care of older adults and long-term care residents
Treating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia
Clinical supervision of PMHNP students

Current Projects

Assessment of off-label usage of antipsychotics in Middle Tennessee nursing homes

Professional Organizations

Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, Geropsych Focus Group chairperson, 2013-Present
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Iota Chapter
Tennessee Nurses Association

Honors/Awards

Middle Tennessee Behavioral Health Nurse of the Year Award - March of Dimes, 2014