Debra Sullivan

Dr. Debra Sullivan is a seasoned nurse educator and leader with over 25 years of experience, dedicated to advancing innovation in nursing education. Throughout her career, she has taught and mentored students across all levels of nursing education—PhD, MSN, BSN, and LVN—in a variety of settings including traditional classrooms, simulation labs, online didactic instruction, and clinical environments. She has coordinated both undergraduate and graduate programs and managed simulation and computer laboratories. Notably, she co-developed the curriculum for an online RN-BSN program, which achieved accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Dr. Sullivan has held leadership roles in academia, corporate healthcare, hospital administration, and private clinical practice. She has managed physician groups and contributed to administrative and clinical operations within healthcare institutions. As a nurse scholar, she has conducted nursing research, published articles and textbook chapters in international peer-reviewed journals, served as a journal peer reviewer, and mentored students in research and scholarly publication.

Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and an MSN from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is recognized as a Certified Nurse Educator, Certified Online Instructor, NLN HITS Scholar, Tennessee Simulation Fellow, and holds a certificate in the Fundamentals of Magnet.

At Walden University, Dr. Sullivan serves as senior core faculty in the MSN specialty program within the College of Nursing, primarily teaching in the nurse executive track. She also chairs and serves on dissertation and DNP committees. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she chairs the College of Nursing Academic Petitions Committee and participates in various institutional committees. Recently, she was selected as a member of Walden University’s Innovation Task Force. Her contributions have earned her recognition, including the 2021 Summer Faculty Excellence Award.

Her service extends to mentoring new faculty, presenting at national meetings, and spearheading the integration of generative AI in nursing education. She has introduced faculty to tools such as ChatGPT, developed grading rubrics, collaborated on course development, and served twice as guest editor for The Nursing Clinics of North America and Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America, where she also mentored faculty contributors.

Dr. Sullivan’s expertise and research interests span a broad range of nursing and healthcare topics, including artificial intelligence in nursing, cultural humility, perianesthesia nursing, COVID-19-related mental health issues, nursing education, OB/GYN, obesity, dermatology, cardiology, critical care, orthopedics, and pediatrics. Over the past year alone, she has published eight scholarly articles and delivered ten professional presentations, with four additional presentations scheduled at upcoming fall nursing conferences.

Her leadership extends beyond academia. She serves as a peer reviewer for nursing journals and holds active leadership roles in professional organizations. She is a past president and current board member of Phi Nu, Walden University's chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, treasurer of the Tennessee Nurses Foundation, and an active member of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA). She is also the former Chair of the TNA State Presidents Council and an active participant in the Tennessee Simulation Alliance.

Dr. Sullivan's commitment to community service is equally strong. She volunteers with Tennessee's Local Medical Reserve Corps and has previously served as a school nurse and developer of nutrition education programs for elementary students in Cannon County, Tennessee. In her personal time, she enjoys reading and crocheting.