Vanderbilt University has reappointed Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, as dean of Vanderbilt School of Nursing for an additional five-year term. Jeffries started her tenure as the school’s ninth dean in July 2021.
“Dean Jeffries has advanced a bold strategy for the School of Nursing—expanding research, empowering faculty and elevating the school’s national impact,” said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver, PhD, FAAAS. “She has taken great strides to transform the operational culture of VUSN and align it with the university’s ‘dare to grow’ ethos. Her work has led to significant changes that have enhanced our ability to serve and equip students for this vital profession.”
Jeffries, who holds the Valere Potter Distinguished Chair in Nursing, is an internationally recognized leader and researcher in nursing and health care education. She has a reputation for innovation in teaching strategies, experiential learning, new pedagogies and the use of technology. With the National League for Nursing, she developed the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory, considered the foundation of simulation scholarship. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy and Academy of Nurse Educators, she is also a member of the Sigma Thea Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame and an RWJF Nurse Executive Fellow Alumna. Active in a variety of professional organizations, she currently serves as co-chair and secretary of the board of the Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare.
“Dean Jeffries exemplifies the thoughtful, forward-looking leadership that strengthens our academic community and fuels Vanderbilt’s momentum,” Raver said. “Her renewed term reflects our strong confidence in her vision and in the vital role the School of Nursing plays in Vanderbilt’s long-term success.”