We are pleased to welcome Karen Sutherland PhD, RN, as our new Director of Nursing Education.
As Director of Nursing Education, Sutherland leads our team of experienced nurse educators and practicing nurses in the innovation and development of evidence-based nursing education products that build strong critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills which promote student success.
With a master’s degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing and a doctorate in Immunology/Microbiology, and having worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, Sutherland sees herself as a lifelong learner, researcher, and educator — a perfect fit in the UWorld culture of academic excellence.
Sutherland has a varied, vast, and accomplished career in which nursing and education have been consistently intertwined. Staff nurse, Nurse Specialist, Practitioner/Teacher, Assistant Professor, Content Developer, Director — Sutherland has done it all.
Additionally, her experiences as the Research Principle Content Developer, NCLEX® (Pearson VUE) and Director of Credentialing (Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation) have uniquely positioned her to spearhead the nursing education department as our industry moves toward a next-generation standard in nursing education.
Sutherland was selected to participate on the team to create and develop NCSBN’s Next Generation RN NCLEX exam. This includes items that were developed to measure clinical judgment using item types specifically designed to test each stage in the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. This exam sets a new standard for high-stakes testing.
When asked about her transition to UWorld, Sutherland lists “UWorld’s impeccable reputation,” “the opportunity to collaborate with other passionate nurse educators,” and “the opportunities NCLEX Next Gen affords to educators and students alike” as a few of the things she is most excited about.
In regards to the question “What is the biggest challenge you foresee in your new role at UWorld?” Sutherland’s three-word reply was something her fellow native Chicagoans will certainly understand: “The Texas heat.”
