Herrin Earns Doctorate Degree in Nursing Education

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Mindy Herrin Earns Doctorate Degree

DANVILLE , IL (08/08/2014)(readMedia)-- Mindy Herrin, assistant professor and director of assessment at Lakeview College of Nursing, recently completed a doctorate degree in nursing education from Capella Univeristy, an accredited on-line program.

Herrin said she pursued this degree shortly after she began teaching at Lakeview. "I was fascinated by the nursing faculty role and did not begin my teaching role with a background in education. I have a passion for teaching and learning and the pursuit of this degree facilitated my transition as a nurse educator," explained Herrin.

Incivility in nursing education was the subject of Herrin's required dissertation for the degree. She knew that incivility was an issue in higher education across the country, but didn't think it would be as much of an issue in nursing education.

"Nurses, by nature, are known as one of the most caring professions in the world, and uncivil behaviors are incongruent with the core values of the nursing profession. I wanted to dig a little deeper to investigate contributing factors to uncivil behaviors and ascertain potential solutions as perceived by nursing students and faculty," said Herrin.

Herrin's work on this topic is currently in the process of being published through UMI Proquest Dissertation and Thesis. Herrin mentioned that she may eventually seek publication with the Journal of Nursing Education as well as opportunities to present her research.

In the fall, Herrin will be teaching two levels of courses on pathophysiology and pharmacology to students at the Danville and Charleston locations of Lakeview College of Nursing. She will also maintain her role as the College's director of assessment.

Herrin will continue to do nursing research, with the focus on incivility and NCLEX success. She also plans to take the certified nurse educator exam and eventually teach in a graduate program while she collaborates with other nurse researchers to advance the nursing profession.

Herrin is a 1999 graduate of Lakeview College of Nursing and a 2008 graduate of Indiana State University. She has taught at Lakeview College of Nursing since 2008.