Clinical Professor; Duke University School of Nursing
Duke University
Durham, NC, United States
Virginia "Chris" Simmons, DNP, CRNA, CHSE-A, FAANA, FAAN is a Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing. A veteran of the United States Air Force, Dr. Simmons earned a BSN at Auburn University Montgomery (AUM) in 1997, completed a MSN at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, was certified as a CRNA, and joined the staff of Duke Regional Hospital (DRH) in 2002. At DRH, she held managerial and staff positions and was a clinical preceptor, simulation facilitator, and guest lecturer for Duke University nurse anesthesia students. Dr. Simmons earned her DNP from the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) in 2011 and later that year joined Duke as faculty and the Clinical Education Coordinator (CEC) with the nurse anesthesia program. She earned Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) in 2015, and in 2019, became the world's first CRNA to earn CHSE-Advanced (CHSE-A). Dr. Simmons served as Assistant Program Director and Program Director for the nurse anesthesia program. She also developed and integrated extensive simulation opportunities, collaborated on interprofessional simulation activities within and beyond Duke University, has taught simulation internationally, and is recognized by her peers as a CRNA simulation expert, most recently named the 2023 recipient of INACSL's Spirit of Simulation Leadership Excellence Award. She was also selected as a 2014 National League of Nursing (NLN) Simulation Leader, a 2020 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a 2021 inaugural Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists (AANA), and Distinguished Alumni at AUM. Dr. Simmons serves as an Associate Editor for Clinical Simulation in Nursing, a journal reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed journals, and has held elected and volunteer positions within multiple professional organizations including the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) and the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).
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Saturday, June 21, 2025
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM MST