Darlene Hicks

Dr. Hicks joined Walden in January 2019 as contributing faculty. Dr. Hicks has over 30 years of nursing experience. She has been a staff nurse, nurse leader and staff educator. She has been teaching in higher education since 2014. Dr. Hicks’ undergraduate degrees are in nursing. Her graduate degree is in nursing, with a focus in nursing education and her doctorate is in educational leadership. Dr. Hicks’ DNP project was focused on nursing faculty job satisfaction and intent to stay in academia. She is an advocate for mentorship in nursing and is a mentor in the American Nurses Association’s Mentoring Program.
Dr. Hicks is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, the National League for Nurses, the American Nurses Association and the North Carolina Nurses Association. She is an active member of the North Carolina Nurses Association History Council.

Courses Taught

NURS 6231 - Healthcare Systems and Quality Outcomes

NURS 6050 - Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health

Education

DNP, American Sentinel University

MSN, Liberty University

BSN, St. Francis Xavier University

Diploma in Nursing, Victoria General Hospital School of Nursing

Public Service

Junior League of Durham and Orange County, Member -

North Carolina Nurses Association History Council, Member -

American Nurses Association Mentorship Program, Participant -

American Heart Association Heart Walk, Other -

Awards / Honors

Great 100 Nurses of North Carolina, , 2013

Publications

Hicks, D. (2015). Can Rounding Reduce Patient Falls in Acute Care? An Integrative Literature Review.. Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses

Hicks, D. (2012). Cultural competence and the Hispanic population.. Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses

Hicks, D. (2022). Virtual Escape Rooms for Final Exam Review. Nurse Educator

Vaughn, J., Ford, S. H., Killam, L. A., Hicks, D., Crawford, D., Payne, J. E., Altergott, H., Dawkins, M. W., Vomer, R. (2025). Promoting psychological safety in simulation using a novel visual tool: A mixed-methods quasi-experimental study. Nurse Education Today

Choi, J., Hicks, D., Shakya, S., Woo, S., Chen, Y., Kim, Y. (2025). Constructing Effective Prompts Using Prompt Engineering. Nurse Educator

Presentations

Hicks, D. E., Jones, T., Ford, S., King, J., Schutz, K. (2019). Testing Task Force Project: The Development of a Strategic Plan for Testing Process Improvement.

Hicks, D. E. (2019). Correlation of Nursing Faculty Perceptions of Mentorship Effectiveness on Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave in North Carolina .

Hicks, D. (2025). Developing a Framework for Constructing Effective Prompts for Nurse Educators Using Prompt Engineering. University of North Carolina Wilmington