Clinical Associate Professor
Texas A&M University School of Nursing
Dr. Wells-Beede has helped advance nursing science through simulation and pedagogical research. As an esteemed educator she has been recoginized by her peers, through the internationally recogizized Society of Simulation in Healthcare as Educator of the Year. She is a Fellow in American Association in Nursing (FAAN), a certified nurse educator, and a certified healthcare educator with advanced distinguishment. Dr. Wells-Beede has over 13 years teaching in associate, bachelor, and master’s programs in nursing. Before teaching in nursing, she was an educator for healthcare professions in the military and hospital setting where she led her educational department in the implementation of simulation through an initiative by the Air Force Surgeon General. She supported a medical group of over 150 airmen, ensuring their readiness to care for patients during combat, emergency response, and stabilization prior to transfer.
Dr. Wells-Beede has conducted research, and integration of virtual reality simulation in nursing with the support of internal and federal funding. She has led the development of over ten virtual reality simulations with an interdisciplinary team of nurse faculty, students, and visualization experts. She has educated over 400 undergraduate and 50 graduate nursing students utilizing these one-of-a-kind virtual reality experiences. Dr. Wells-Beede has actively served the simulation community by collaborating with fellow simulationists in the revised Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice ™: Objectives & Outcomes and Professional Development sponsored by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation Learning (INACSL). Dr. Wells-Beede is also serving on the 2020-2024 Board of Directors for INACSL.