Dr. Beth Hallmark, Director of Simulation for the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing and Assistant Professor of Nursing, is this year’s featured speaker for the Christine P. Sharpe Distinguished Lecture Series at Tennessee State University (TSU).  Dr. Hallmark will make her presentation about creative learning strategies on Thursday, October 17, 2013.  The lecture series was established in 2000 to honor Dr. Sharpe, retired Associate Dean and co-founder of TSU School of Nursing. The lecture is held annually and has included healthcare leaders, researchers and educators who have delivered cutting edge and thought provoking presentations about a wide range of topics in health, nursing education and public policy.  The lecture will be held in Room 118 of the James E. Farrell & Fred E. Westbrook Agricultural Complex (known as “The Barn”) on TSU’s campus from 7:00 to 7:45 on Thursday, October 17.  A reception will follow.   The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Hallmark has been part of the faculty at Belmont University since 1996.  She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in E-Learning.  She has extensive experience in pediatric nursing, primarily at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville.  At Belmont, she has guided the integration of patient simulation into the curriculum of the School of Nursing and is leading the effort to increase the use of simulation in all health science programs in the College of Health Sciences and the College of Pharmacy.  Dr. Hallmark also serves as Director of the Tennessee Simulation Alliance, an inter-professional alliance promoting the use of patient simulation in educational environments throughout the state.  Simulation is an educational strategy to mirror, anticipate, or amplify real situations with guided experiences in a fully interactive way.  Simulation is enhanced through the use of technology with computer-based patient simulators.  Simulation is an excellent training resource that promotes patient safety.