Program of Research
ONSET (Odreman’s Nursing Scholarship Education Team) functions under a Three-Pillar Nursing Program of Research, which is intentionally designed to be integrated, balanced, and practice-focused. The program is described as a three-legged stool: each leg represents a distinct but interdependent pillar of scholarship, and the program can only stand when all three are strong and in balance. Together, these pillars support the overarching goals that guide all of the ONSET scholarly work: enhancing the quality of nursing education and improving patient outcomes by preparing confident, competent, and compassionate nurses.
This integrated approach is visually and conceptually represented in the ONSET research logo.
The three outer segments symbolize the three pillars of my research program—simulation pedagogy, curriculum design, and leadership development. Although each pillar has its own scholarly focus, they form a continuous circle, emphasizing that they do not exist in isolation.Instead, they inform, strengthen, and sustain one another. This reflects the approach nursing education research: as a connected system rather than a series of disconnected projects.
At the center of the logo is the core foundation of my research program: evidence-based practice, psychological safety, and research excellence. The central image represents the learner—and ultimately the practicing nurse—engaged in critical thinking, inquiry, and reflection. This center is intentional. Without psychological safety, meaningful learning, leadership development, and clinical growth cannot occur. Without rigorous, evidence-based approaches, educational innovation lacks sustainability and impact. These foundational elements anchor all three pillars and ensure that the work produced through ONSET is both scholarly and impactful.
Simulation Pedagogy
The first pillar: simulation pedagogy reflects a sustained scholarly interest in simulation as an essential strategy in contemporary healthcare education. As clinical environments become more complex and placement opportunities increasingly constrained, simulation offers powerful opportunities to promote clinical reasoning, professional confidence, and safe decision-making. This research does not treat simulation as a technical add-on, but as a pedagogical approach—one that intentionally links theory, practice, and reflective learning. This work responds directly to the realities of modern nursing education while maintaining a strong commitment to patient safety and learner development.
Curriculum Design
The second pillar, curriculum design, asks a fundamental educational question: How do we design nursing curricula that are coherent, responsive, and future-focused? The scholarship in this area examines alignment across courses and learning experiences, the integration of evidence-based teaching strategies, and the intentional support of learners’ developmental progression from novice to expert, informed by Benner’s Theory. Approaching curriculum as a living structure, one that must evolve alongside changes in healthcare systems, population needs, and professional expectations to produce practice-ready graduates.
Leadership Development
The third pillar, leadership development, focuses on developing leadership capacity in both nursing students and nurse educators. Effective nursing practice depends not only on technical competence, but also on communication, ethical decision-making, and the ability to navigate complexity and change. The research in this pillar examines how leadership can be cultivated early and reinforced throughout nursing education, supporting the formation of professional identity and the confidence to advocate for patients, colleagues, and the profession itself.