Nancy Petges
Nancy Petges, NIU nursing assistant professor, has been named a 2019 Nurse Educator Fellow by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). She is one of 19 nurse educators in the state who have awarded $10,000 each to promote excellence in nursing education.
Petges said she will use the funds to present her research at conferences in the U.S. and Canada. She is leading a study examining the experience of male students in nursing education. Additionally, Petges is studying the perceived barriers of associate degree in nursing students to bachelor or science in nursing degree preparation. Both studies aim to better inform best practices in nursing education.
Petges began instructing at the NIU School of Nursing in 2017. She is also an alumna, having earned her Ed.D. degree in counseling, adult and higher education at NIU. She holds an M.S.N., nursing education and clinical nurse leadership; an A.D.N., nursing, and a B.S. degree in economics and political science.
“Dr. Petges is a very effective educator and her research will expand knowledge about how best to educate a diverse nursing workforce,” said Derryl Block, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
The other IBHE 2019 Nurse Educator Fellows are pursuing research in topics including intimate partner violence, cardiovascular disease in rural Haiti and health care approaches in Scotland.
According to the IBHE, the Nurse Educator Fellowship is designed to help address healthcare demands at a time when many experienced nurses will be reaching retirement age. To help address this concern, Illinois state government is helping to provide the resources necessary to train more highly skilled nurses in Illinois by retaining qualified faculty.
