Kimberly Ringo named exceptional nurse educator for her work during pandemic

Kimberly Ringo is a clinical assistant professor of nursing at Wright State.

Kimberly Ringo, a clinical assistant professor in the Wright State University School of Nursing, has been honored for her role as teacher and nurse during critical staffing needs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ringo was named exceptional nurse educator for March as part of the National League for Nurses’ 2022 Year of the Nurse Educator.

Ringo was selected as an exemplary nurse educator by Ann Stalter, Ph.D., professor and chair of the School of Nursing, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, and Peggy Mark, Ph.D., chief nursing officer at Premier Health.

Mark said Ringo embodies clinical teaching excellence with nursing students at Miami Valley Hospital.

“Kimberly Ringo has balanced the role of teacher and nurse with dedication and perseverance in the face of the critical staffing needs amid the pandemic, most recently weathering the Omicron-related surge in the Dayton region,” said Mark.

Ringo graduated from Wright State in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and in 2002 with a master’s degree in nursing with a concentration as an adult health clinical nurse specialist with a neurological focus. She has taught at Wright State since 2004.

Ringo’s practice experience began in 1993 at Miami Valley Hospital, where she continues to work as a neuro unit staff nurse. She has been certified by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing since 1998.

In the clinical arena, Ringo’s emphasis is on guiding and mentoring nursing students to provide safe, quality care.

During the pandemic, Ringo has helped meet critical staffing needs by incorporating Wright State nursing students into a Rapid Cycle Improvement team, which focuses on the provision of Helping Hands. Her students meet course objectives while working on teams that support unit challenges such as bathing, vital signs, medication administration, turning, ambulating, feeding and educating patients who need additional assistance.

Staff nurses at Miami valley Hospital say they appreciate Ringo’s efforts and the work of her students.

“Kim and her students are awesome,” said one staff nurse. “Kim fosters teamwork and collaboration,” said another. “Kim’s students complete delegated tasks we need help with,” said a third.

Students are also complimentary of Ringo’s instruction.

“Kim is an excellent instructor, she truly cares about her students and our knowledge base,” said one student. “She taught us important skills we need to know that we might have otherwise missed as a result of the pandemic.”

“She ensures we come out of the clinical better nurses than we came into it,” said another student.

“Kim is effective. She encourages practicality and professionalism and seeks out gaps in our learning and fills or corrects them … exemplary,” said a third.

In addition to her academic and practice roles, Ringo is an active member of the American Association of Neurological Nurses, the Greater Dayton Association of Neuroscience Nurses, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and Sigma Theta Tau International, Zeta Phi Chapter. Over the years, Ringo has received multiple clinical teaching awards.