Associate Professor of Nursing Practice Amy Wells Putnam DNP, RN, CNE

Biography

I have been a nurse for twenty-seven years, and completed my Master of Science degree with a concentration in nursing education in August, 2007. I completed by DNP in educational leadership in June, 2018. I have worked in intensive care, telemetry step-down, and medical-surgical nursing areas in acute care. Currently, I work prn in the PACU at a local community hospital. I taught in the Associate Degree nursing program at Haywood Community College part-time for two years in the clinical setting and full-time for four years in the didactic, lab, and clinical settings. I am completing my fifteenth year full-time year as a faculty in nursing at Western Carolina University. Currently, I teach in the graduate school in the nurse educator and nurse leader programs. I also serve as the RIBN advisor and Associate Program DIrector for the distance online programs (MSN, RIBN and RN to BSN). I have taught in the traditional BSN program as well as some classes in the ABSN program, RIBN program, and RN-BSN program. I served as the Traditional Program Director for the Undergraduate Program in the School of Nursing in Cullowhee, NC for five years. I serve of school, college, and university committees. During my time in education, I have taught in the didactic (face-face, online, and hybrid), clinical, and simulation settings. I have chair MSN projects as well as post-MSN DNP and FNP DNP projects. I have presented posters and at the podium in local and regional conferences, including two presentations through AHEC this academic year.

Education

• DNP, American Sentinel University
• MS, Western Carolina University
• BSN, Western Carolina University

Teaching Interests

I am interested in NCLEX preparation, graduate level nurse educator preparation, critical thinking, conceptual teaching, research on generational differences in teaching and learning, leadership in nursing and evidence-based research, teaching and learning and mentoring.

Research Interests

Conceptual teaching and learning; stress and nursing students; alternate clinical models and impact on critical thinking; generational differences in teaching and leanring; undergraduate clinical activities; competency based education; mentoring; precepting