Theresa Schwindenhammer

I am Dr. Theresa Schwindenhammer. I am from the state of Illinois, where I have lived my whole life. I have been a nurse for 35 years primarily working in acute care areas of intensive care and cardiac. I also have an extensive med-surg background as well. My research areas are mainly geriatrics and teaching strategies in nursing education. I used Videoconferencing as a way to decrease depressive symptoms and loneliness in my dissertation research. I have also researched use of scenarios in nursing education as a way to facilitate learning for nursing students.
I started my nursing career as a licensed practical nurse, then attended a diploma program at Methodist College of Nursing in Peoria Illinois that had a program with Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois in which I was able to receive my baccalaureate degree. From there, I worked for several years at the bedside and decided I really enjoyed teaching the nursing students that came to my unit. I then went to Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing to obtain my Master’s in Nursing Education. After I graduated, I then worked for several years as a nurse educator before pursuing my PhD in nursing, which I received in May 2014 from Illinois State University.Professionally, I have been teaching for over twenty years between being adjunct faculty and full time. I have taught a variety of courses at the associated degree, baccalaureate and graduate levels.