Seven faculty members from the UNCG School of Nursing have been selected to participate in a transformative initiative sponsored by the UNC system. This project is designed to address critical workforce needs in nursing by leveraging Open Educational Resources (OER). Faculty will develop high-quality, accessible educational materials that significantly reduce student costs while enhancing pedagogical flexibility. Research specific to nursing education demonstrates that OER positively impacts student retention and success. This initiative focuses on two essential pre-licensure courses: Fundamentals of Nursing and Community Health Nursing.
UNCG nursing faculty will collaborate with disciplinary teams composed of experts in these foundational areas. This OER project builds upon the 2020 Digital Course Enhancement Initiative and aligns with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s recommendations to improve the affordability and accessibility of nursing education while implementing evidence-based, high-impact teaching strategies. The following UNCG faculty members have been selected for their expertise and contributions to nursing education.
Lindsay Draper
DNP, MSN/MBA, CNE, RN-BC, Clinical Associate Professor, Director of Faculty Credentialing, Compliance, & Special Initiatives, and Provost Fellow for Faculty Development
Dr. Draper is leading the development of the Fundamentals of Nursing faculty bundle for this OER initiative. Her expertise in faculty development, credentialing, and digital learning strategies positions her as a key contributor to this project. With a strong background in advanced nursing education, she has been instrumental in implementing innovative instructional methods that enhance student learning outcomes.
Jennifer Wilson
PhD, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Wilson has been deeply involved in the development, revision, and evaluation of fundamental nursing courses at UNCG since 2013. She has served as a lab instructor, course facilitator, and course chair for foundational courses at both the undergraduate and RN-BSN levels. With a passion for curriculum development, she emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in fundamental nursing skills to shape ethical, critical-thinking practitioners. Dr. Wilson’s experience ensures that the OER project will deliver high-quality, evidence-based content tailored to the needs of pre-licensure students.
Jacqueline DeBrew
PhD, RN, Clinical Professor
Dr. DeBrew brings extensive experience in teaching Population and Community Health Nursing across pre-licensure, RN-to-BSN, and graduate programs since 1998. She remains actively engaged in community health practice, working alongside students in clinical settings and collaborating with agencies that serve vulnerable populations. Her previous work developing teaching materials in a train-the-trainer format and creating a digital repository for Gerontological Nursing faculty demonstrates her commitment to advancing nursing education. Her contributions to this project will support the creation of accessible, high-quality resources for community health nursing courses.
Brittany Coker
MSN, RN, Clinical Instructor
Brittany Coker joined the UNCG School of Nursing in Fall 2023 and has played a key role in refining the nursing fundamentals courses. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and NIH Stroke Scale Certified, bringing valuable clinical expertise to her teaching. Before transitioning to academia, she served as the Nurse Manager for Rehabilitation Medicine at ECU Health Medical Center, where she also managed Neurosciences and Pediatric Rehabilitation units. With extensive clinical and leadership experience, she understands the critical importance of a strong foundation in nursing fundamentals and is committed to ensuring students develop essential skills for practice.
Aimee Motley
DNP, RN, Clinical Instructor
Dr. Motley has been a leader in integrating digital learning tools to enhance student engagement and competency in nursing education. In the fundamentals course at UNCG, she incorporated ATI’s EHR Tutor to simulate real-life patient care scenarios, helping students develop medication administration proficiency. Additionally, she has designed virtual reality (VR) modules and interactive case studies—such as an escape room learning experience—to challenge students to apply critical thinking and clinical judgment in innovative ways. Her expertise in digital learning will be invaluable to the OER initiative.
Tammy Hall
PhDc, MSN, RN, RDMS, Clinical Assistant Professor
With five years of teaching experience in community health nursing, Professor Hall has played a pivotal role in transitioning the RN-to-BSN concentration to an online format. Her expertise in digital curriculum development, combined with her ability to manage complex, high-visibility projects, ensures that she can effectively contribute to the OER initiative. Having previously authored textbook content, she brings valuable experience in structured content creation and curriculum alignment.
Colleen McGovern
PhD, MPH, RN, Assistant Professor
Dr. McGovern has coordinated and taught Community and Population Health Nursing courses since 2020, focusing on both online and in-person instruction. She has developed interactive case studies, digital portfolios, and recorded nursing simulations to enhance student learning. In addition to her instructional contributions, Dr. McGovern has participated in NIH grant applications, conducted research studies, and collaborated with teams across multiple institutions. Her experience in global health education, including a partnership with a nursing school in Kenya, brings a unique perspective to the OER project, ensuring culturally responsive and evidence-based content development.
Through their leadership and expertise, these faculty members are shaping the future of nursing education by making high-quality learning materials more affordable and accessible. Their contributions to the OER initiative will have a lasting impact on student success, workforce readiness, and the broader nursing profession.