
Loretta Aller, Ph.D., RN
Biography
Dr. Aller serves as an Assistant Professor for the ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ College of Nursing. Her research has resulted in a contemporary model of undergraduate nursing education centered on decision-making and self-efficacy, specifically designed to counteract high turnover rates for new graduates. Her reimagined theory of undergraduate nursing education addresses high attrition rates for nurses entering the workforce and leads to informed, evidence-based curricular and program decisions for better nurse preparation and patient safety. Dr. Aller’s current research uses multi-platform virtual simulation to measure the experience of nursing students: the movement from self-doubt (anxiety, fear) to self-efficacy (confidence and competence) and the development of safe patient care decisions based on sound clinical judgment. Based on her findings, Dr. Aller and her research team are conducting feasibility testing for the Aller’s Development of Decision-Making and Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Nursing Education model at ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ and the University of Mount Union. Dr. Aller’s recent study findings were published in Nurse Educator, and she has authored several book chapters for Elsevier’s Fundamentals of Nursing. She has also embraced unique methods of knowledge dissemination through invitational podcasts and webinars, including participation in a recent podcast series by Nurse Educator.
Previous to her current position, she served as an Associate Lecturer at ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ at Stark for over a decade, and her work experience includes clinical and administrative positions at Akron General/Cleveland Clinic, Summa Health, Hospice & Palliative Care of Visiting Nurse Service, and Middlebury Manor in Akron, as well as test item writing, reviewing, and teaching for Kaplan, Inc. and Elsevier Publishing, Inc. She and her research team received funding from the Health Foundation of Greater Massillon and the Austin-Bailey Health & Wellness Foundation, as well as internal funding awards through ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½. Dr. Aller received her PhD, MSN, and BSN degrees from ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½.
- NURS 35060 - Critical Thinking and Test Taking
Education
MSN, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½
BSN, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½
Publications
- Aller, L. (2020). A Contemporary Model for Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Grounded Theory Study. Nurse Educator, 46(4), 250–254. https://doi-org.proxy.library.kent.edu/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000933
- Aller, L. J. (2019). Exploring the developmental process of undergraduate nursing students (Order No. 27725723). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2355993373). Retrieved from http://proxy.library.kent.edu/login?url=https://www-proque
Affiliations
- National League for Nurses
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses
- International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Nursing
Awards/Achievements
- Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ Stark, March 2020
- Daisy Award Nominee for Excellence in Nursing Education – Graduate program, Malone University, May 2019
- Health Foundation of Greater Massillon Challenge Grant Awarded, May 2019
- University Teaching Council Summer Grant Awarded, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½, Summer 2019
- QSEN Institute (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses) – named Simulation Task Force Coordinator, Case Western Reserve University, December 2018
- Austin-Bailey Health & Wellness Foundation Grant Awarded, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ Stark, May 2018
- Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ Stark, March, 2018
- Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½ Stark, May, 2017
- Barbara Donaho Award of Excellence, ÇàÄêɬµ¼º½, October 2013
- ACE Teaching Excellence Award, Kaplan, Inc., November, 2012