Meagan Hardy

Utah Valley University, United States

Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Simulation Anxiety in the Primary Nurse Role

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Biography

Meagan Hardy, DNP, APRN, MSN-Ed, RN, is a nursing educator with 10 years of experience teaching across prelicensure and graduate programs while currently practicing as a nurse practitioner. Her learner populations include prelicensure, RN–BSN, and DNP students. Meagan has extensive simulation experience in high-fidelity simulation, standardized patients, virtual simulation, and OSCEs, with responsibilities spanning scenario design, facilitation, debriefing, and learner evaluation. She is particularly interested in the relationship between simulation and learner anxiety, and how emotionally intelligent teaching strategies can help students reframe anxiety as useful information rather than a barrier to performance. Her work is informed by involvement in emotional intelligence research and mindfulness-based approaches that support psychological safety, reflective practice, and clinical confidence. Meagan serves on a simulation committee and has a history of curriculum committee involvement, with additional focus on mentorship, preceptor development, and strengthening the transition from student to practice-ready clinician

Abstract