The College of Nursing Welcomes a National Expert in Interdisciplinary Education

Rita D’Aoust, PhD, ANP-BC, CNE, a nationally recognized educator and researcher in nursing education and simulation, has joined USF as associate dean of Academic Affairs and Interprofessional Initiatives at the USF College of Nursing.

Dr D’Aoust, who has been involved in interprofessional education and practice initiatives for more than 20 years, came to USF from the University of Rochester, where she is known as a pioneer for building a nursing program centered on interprofessional education and interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition, she helped implement interdisciplinary simulation across multiple health specialties including medical and nursing students throughout the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is an acute care nurse practitioner and adult nurse practitioner (ANP). As an ANP, she directed for more than 12 years the volunteers who provided care to the uninsured in a neighborhood center in Rochester.

"Dr D’Aoust brings with her both a clear understanding of the complex issues facing nursing education – from the baccalaureate to the doctoral levels – as well as leadership experience for developing and evaluating inter-professional educational initiatives,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, RN, PhD, FAAN, senior associate vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF College of Nursing.

"She is an out-of-the-box, innovative thinker dedicated to improving the nursing profession through partnerships, using outcome data to determine choices for program improvement, and integrating nimble, flexible thinking to address the health care needs of tomorrow.”

Dr. D’Aoust connected with USF when she presented on the topic of interprofessional education last summer. While here, she met several key faculty members and soon realized that USF Health, and more specifically the USF College of Nursing, offered her the opportunity to combine her strengths for building interprofessional collaborative programs and developing innovative nursing curricula.

Since joining USF, Dr D’Aoust has spearheaded the development of USF’s Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation (CIPES) for the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) and participated in the development and approval of interprofessional competencies for the four health professional colleges within USF Health. 

"I fell in love with the faculty and the energy here,” Dr. D’Aoust said. "Everyone had a can-do attitude. I never heard ‘oh we can’t.’ The vision at USF Health for a true interprofessional education program, beginning with CIPES, is a definite plus. This is on the cutting-edge of health education nationally and will help put USF Health and the College of Nursing in the national spotlight.”

While at the University of Rochester, Dr. D’Aoust developed and directed a center for instructing faculty how to use simulation technology at the School of Nursing. As director, she guided the School in the use of high-fidelity simulation and handheld devices to improve student learning and patient outcomes. Through this effort, the School was the first in the country to use iPod Touches and iPhones with native applications by collaborating with corporate partner Skyscape, Inc. to produce iPod/iPhone applications.

"Simulation is a vital strategy to supplement clinical learning and complement direct patient care opportunities,’ Dr. D’Aoust said. "Informatics has the potential to enhance the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare delivery, but analysis of its impact on the clinical education of health professions students has been limited, and many nursing programs do not include informatics content in students’ coursework.”

Dr. D’Aoust’s research focuses on nursing education and she has secured funding as principal investigator on a $900,000 HRSA D10 grant to increase enrollment in the accelerated nursing program. She also has funding from the Helene Fuld Foundation, USBC Bank, a USA Trustee grant for more than $6 million, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for accelerated nursing student scholarships. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recognized her expertise by appointing Dr. D’Aoust to serve on the national task force to evaluate the impact of the IOM report, Health Professions – A Bridge to Quality, and the Baccalaureate and Masters’ Essentials of Education on national nursing curriculum standards. She has published extensively on interdisciplinary clinical education and learning with simulation, and serves as book review editor for the Journal of Interprofessional Care.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications