faculty profile

Angela McNelis PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, CNE

Assistant Dean, PhD in Nursing Science

Bio

Dr. Angela McNelis is a leader, scholar, and educator transforming nursing education through her evidence-based research, landmark studies, pedagogical innovations, and dissemination of results locally, nationally and internationally. Her leadership and work advance the science by developing evidence to direct changes in education across pre-licensure, graduate and doctoral education. She is at the forefront of national efforts to transform nursing education so that new nurses from entry to advanced levels are prepared for practice. Over her 22-year academic career, she developed and/or tested different approaches such as simulation, innovative clinical models, and interprofessional education to enhance student learning, and contribute to the evidentiary base of nursing education.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University
PhD, Indiana University
MSN, Indiana University
MS, Indiana University
BSN, DePauw University

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

Nursing Education Research/interventions

Grants

Assessing the Health Equity Knowledge, Attitudes, and Capacity of Students in the Health Professions: A Baseline Study. GW Center for Faculty Excellence Education Research Grant. Co-I, $15,000. 2022-2023

Evaluation of the Modular Skills Trainer. Laerdal. Multiple PI, $51,600. 2020-2021.

Addressing the Perioperative Succession Crisis: How a Perioperative Nursing Elective Contributes to Recruitment and Retention. Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) Research Foundation. Co-PI, $25,000. 2020-2022.

Using Screen-Based Virtual Simulation in Family Nurse Practitioner Education. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. PI, $294,281. 2020-2023.

National Study of Clinical Education in Family Nurse Practitioner Programs. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Co-PI, $300,000. 2016-2018.

Post-Graduate Certificate in Nursing and Healthcare Policy. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Co-PI, $323,992. 2016-2018.

Comparing Nurse Practitioner Student Learning Outcomes in Telehealth and Face-to-Face Standardized Patient Encounters. Health Resources & Services Administration, Washington, DC. Co-PI, $238,803.

Representative Publications

Journals

Whitt, K.J., Allen, C., Hogg, C.W., Pericak, Beebe, S.L A., Braungart, C., Knestrick, J., Harrod, T., & McNelis, A.M. (submitted March 2023). The use of electronic health records in advanced practice nursing education: A scoping review. Journal of Professional Nursing.

Cox, C.W., Rumble, M., McNelis, A.M., & Walsh, H. (submitted April 2023). The impact of a perioperative elective on practice workforce development: Content analysis. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing.

Cameron, V.K., Jones, M., Lee, S. & McNelis, A.M. (submitted March 2023). Development of disability and the impact on retention within the nursing profession: A scoping review. Nursing Management.

McNelis, A.M., Dreifuerst, K.T., & Beebe, S.L. (2023). The interface of social media recruitment and nursing education research. Computers, Informatics, Nursing (Publish ahead of print): DOI: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000001002 .

Whitt, K.J., Pericak, A., Allen, C., Knestrick, J., Beebe, S.L., McNelis, A.M., & Braungart, C. (2023). Effectiveness of screen-based simulation as a strategy to improve nurse practitioner student access to electronic health records in clinical education. Computers, Informatics, Nursing. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000987

Cox, C. W., Rumble, M. M., McNelis, A. M., & Walsh, H. A. (2023). An examination of the career choices of nursing graduates after completing a perioperative elective. AORN journal, 117(4), e1?e9. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13895

Wiersma, G., Cox, C. W., McNelis, A. M., Tebbenhoff, B., Schumann, M. J., & Maring, J. (2022). Learning impact of Armed Forces medical background on military student nurses. Nursing Education Perspectives. 43(6), 372-374. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000960

Leighton, K., McNelis, A. M., & Kardong-Edgren, S. (2022). The competency of clinical nurse educators. Journal of Professional Nursing, 43, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.08.004.

Allen, C., Whitt, K., Pericak, A., Knestrick, J., Braungart, C., Beebe, S., McNelis, A. (2022). Virtual simulation in graduate nursing education, Nurse Educator, 47(4), 224. https://DOI:10.1097/NNE.0000000000001186

Kardong-Edgren, S., Leighton, K., McNelis, A. M., Foisy-Doll, C., Sharpnack, P., & Kavanaugh, J. (2021). Evidence vs. eminence: Clinical hours in nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(A1-A2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.07.008

Cox, C.W., Wiersma, G., McNelis, A.M., & Beebe, S.L. (2021). Facilitators and challenges to military undergraduate nursing student success. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(6), 1057-1062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.08.002

Leighton, K., Kardong-Edgren, S., McNelis, A. M., & Sullo, E. (2021). Learning outcomes attributed to prelicensure clinical education in nursing: A systematic review of qualitative research. Nurse Educator, 47(1):26-30. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001097

McKague, D. K., Beebe, S. L. McNelis, A. M., & Dreifuerst, K. T. (2021). Lack of pediatric mental health clinical experiences among FNP students. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 35(3), 267-270.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2021.03.008

McNelis, A. M., Dreifuerst, K. T., Beebe, S. L., &. Spurlock, D. (2021). Types, frequency, and depth of direct patient care experiences of Family Nurse Practitioner students in the United States. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 12(1), 19-27.

Faraz Covelli A., Flaherty, S., & McNelis, A. M. (2021). An innovative distance-based mentorship program for nurse practitioner student-alumni pairs. Nursing Education Perspectives. DOI: 10.1097/01.nep.0000000000000797

Leighton, K., Kardong-Edgren, S., McNelis, A. M., Foisy-Doll, C., & Sullo, E. (2021). Objective outcomes of traditional clinical experiences in prelicensure nursing education: An empty systematic review. Journal of Nursing Education, 60(3), 136-142. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20210222-03

Wiersma, G., Cox, C. W., McNelis, A. M., Schumann, M. J., & Maring, J. (2021). Faculty perceptions in facilitating success for accelerated BSN student veterans. Nursing Education Perspectives, 42(3), 165-167. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000673

Fitzgerald, A., McNelis, A. M., & Billings, D. (2020). NLN core competencies for nurse educators: Are they present in the course descriptions of academic nurse educator programs? Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(1), 4-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000530

El-Banna, M. M., Whitlow, M., & McNelis, A. M. (2020) Improving pharmacology standardized test and final examination scores through team-based learning. Nurse Educator, 45(1), 47-50. https://doi.org/0.1097/NNE.0000000000000671

Jeffries, P. R., Bigley, M. B., McNelis, A. M., Cartier, J. M., Pintz, C., Slaven-Lee, P., & Zychowicz, M. E. (2019). A call to action: Building evidence for use of simulation in nurse practitioner education. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(11), 627-632. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000335

McKinnon, T. H., McNelis, A. M., de Leon, K., Whitlow, M., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2019). Current state of international clinical experiences in united states pre-licensure nursing programs. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(5), 291-294. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000563 (Received the Best Article Award for Journal)

McKinnon, T. H., McNelis, A. M., de Leon, K., Whitlow, M., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2019). International clinical experiences for required clinical hours: National survey of registered nurse pre-licensure programs. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 10(1), 53-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(19)30083-3

Schwindt, R. G., McNelis, A. M., Agley, J., Lay, K., Hudmon, K., & Wilgenbusch, B. (2019). Training future clinicians: An interprofessional approach to treating tobacco use and dependence. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 33(2), 200-208.https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2018.1534808

McNelis, A. M., Dreifuerst, K. T., & Schwindt, R. (2019). Doctoral education and preparation for nursing faculty roles. Nurse Educator, 44(4), 202-206. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000597

Representative Presentations

The Impact of a Perioperative Nursing Elective on Practice Workforce Development. National League for Nursing
Education Summit. Sept. 2022.

Qualitative Exploration of a Perioperative Elective on Recruitment and Retention of New Graduate Nurses (with PhD student Walsh and Drs. Rumble and Cox), George Washington University Research Showcase, Washington, DC. Apr. 2022.

Addressing the Perioperative Succession Crisis: How a Perioperative Nursing Elective Contributes to Recruitment and Retention (with Drs. Cox, Rumble, and Heather Walsh). AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo, New Orleans, LA, Mar. 2022.

Evaluation of Prelicensure Clinical Outcomes: A Sobering Review and a Call to Action (with Drs. Kardong-Edgren, Leighton, and Oermann). National League for Nursing Education Summit, Sept. 2021.

Using Social Media to InterFace with Nursing Education Research Recruitment (with Dr. Dreifuerst). National League for Nursing Education Summit, Sept. 2021.

Validating an instrument to measure health equity knowledge and capacity of students across the health professions (with Drs. Ward, Mallinson, Thoma, Davis et al). American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Oct. 2021.

Improving Academic Outcomes: Team-Based Learning in a Nursing Pharmacology Course, 32nd Annual ENRS Conference, Boston, MA, Mar. 2020.

Active Engagement in the Classroom: Using Team-Based Learning to Improve Student Learning of Pharmacology. National League for Nursing Education Summit, Sept 2019.

Current State, Policies and National Dialogue on Simulations in NP Education (Panel with Drs. Jeffries, Bigley, Slaven-Lee, and Pintz), George Washington University Simulation Conference, Mar. 2019.

Grit and Resilience Wellness Workshop, George Washington University School of Nursing, Oct. 2018.

Professional Organizations

American Academy of Nursing, 2015-present
Academy of Nursing Education, 2010-present
American Nurses Association, 2009-present
American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2007-present
International Society for Psychiatric Nurses (ISPN), 2007-present
American Association of College of Nursing, 2001-present
National League for Nursing, 2001-present
Mid-West Nursing Research Society, 1999-present
American Epilepsy Society, 1998-2007
Sigma Theta Tau International, 1991-present

Honors/Awards

Excellence in Faculty Development, George Washington University School of Nursing, 2022
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021-2022