MAGNOLIA – Laura Shirey, assistant professor of nursing and director of the associate degree in nursing program at Southern Arkansas University, has earned the designation Certified Nurse Educator after meeting strict eligibility criteria and successfully completing a rigorous certification examination developed and administered by the National League of Nursing.
Shirey has been a registered nurse for 30 years and has been involved in nursing education for 19 years. During her tenure in nursing education, she has participated in associate and baccalaureate education and program development at SAU and other institutions. Her experience in nursing education has been in the area of adult health, leadership and management. Her clinical expertise is in adult health with a practice focus in medical-surgical nursing.
Shirey is an active member of Arkansas’s Nursing Administrators of Nursing Education Programs and chairs the ADN Council. She is also a member of the board of directors for The Caring Place of Magnolia and the Wesley Foundation. She is supportive of faculty and has been a strong advocate for creative teaching through the use of innovative technology, alternate learning strategies, and evidence-based approaches. She is currently serving on the Faculty Senate and the Senate’s Parking Appeals committee. She also serves on the University’s Fringe Benefit committee and has served and chaired the University’s Student Media committee.
“We must encourage more nurse faculty to prepare for certification as nurse educators so that our nursing schools can be staffed by academicians of the highest caliber,” said Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, president of the National League of Nursing. “Only in this way can excellence in nursing education be ensured for another generation.”
