Faculty

Dr. Culross received her BSN from Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD, her MSN from Rush University in Chicago, IL and her PhD in Gerontology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She is also a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and a Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her professional experience began in long term care where she was a staff nurse, unit manager, staff development coordinator, assistant director of nursing, and director of quality assurance. She has also worked in acute rehabilitation and long term acute care. She taught on the faculty of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing from 2008 -2024 and as Associate Director on the Interprofessional Academy of Educators (IAE) from 2017-2022. She is a Fellow in the National Gerontological Nursing Association and was a member of the Gerontological Nursing Leadership Academy of Sigma Theta Tau International. Her nursing expertise was recognized by the receipt of the 2015 Nebraska March of Dimes Nurse of the Year award. Her areas of interest in research include Gerontological nurse competencies, elder direct care and care systems, as well as undergraduate nursing education and simulation. She is currently the Director of the Des Moines University Regional Simulation Center.