Bio

Kristina Thomas Dreifuerst PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN is an Associate Professor at Marquette University College of Nursing in Milwaukee, WI. Her research is at the forefront of disciplinary efforts to develop, use, and test innovative teaching methods to improve students’ clinical reasoning skills, and also investigate how educators can best be prepared to use evidence-based methods to enhance clinical teaching. Her work has been recognized for leading initiatives to transform nursing education and she has influenced pedagogical changes in educational practices locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Dreifuerst is best known for the clinical teaching method she developed: Debriefing for Meaningful Learning (DML) which was used in the seminal National Simulation Study conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The impact of her funded program of research is far-reaching. DML has been adopted by more than 500 schools of nursing throughout the world for use in simulation, traditional clinical settings, and across the curriculum in nursing and other healthcare disciplines. She is frequently consulted by schools of nursing for her expertise in curriculum, instruction and clinical teaching. She has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters on debriefing and best practices in teaching and learning. She is the recipient of prestigious national and international awards and honors from the National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, the Midwest Nursing Research Society and the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation and Learning recognizing her expertise and contribution to the field. Dr. Dreifuerst serves as the Immediate Past President of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and she holds editorial board positions on three esteemed journals. She is also an Associate Editor for the journal Clinical Simulation in Nursing. Dr. Dreifuerst is a Certified Nurse Educator and she was inducted as a Fellow into the Academy of Nursing Education and also as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing.