Education
FNP, Sonoma State University, 2014
Masters of Nursing Education, University of Indianapolis, 2009
BSN, Indiana University, 2005
Specialties and Expertise
Educational Pedagogies
Active Learning
Community Engagement
Critical Thinking
Reflection/Mindfulness
Service Learning
Health Policy
Advocacy
Health Equity
Health Systems
Complementary / Alternative Care
Evidence-based Practice (EBP)
Mentoring in Health Systems
Safety Culture
Managing Chronic Conditions
Diabetes
Early Intervention
Health Information Seeking / Screening
Self-management
Awards and Honors
Dean's Award for Partnerships, 2024
Biography
Samantha Eads, MSN-Ed, RN, FNP-BC, began her career in 2005 as a member of the first cohort to graduate from the IU School of Nursing in Bloomington. While working in the operating room at Riley Children’s Hospital and Progressive Care at Methodist Hospital, she earned her Master’s in Nursing Education in 2009.
In 2011, Prof. Eads moved to northern California, working with veterans and military personnel with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. She then earned her post-master’s Family Nurse Practitioner degree in 2014 from Sonoma State University while teaching LVN students at a small private college. Returning to Bloomington in 2015, she engaged in community projects like teaching the Family Gardening Program at IU Hilltop Gardens and volunteering for various non-profits.
In 2016, she returned to healthcare full-time, working as an NP in the Emergency Department and as a primary care clinician at Volunteers in Medicine. In 2019, she began her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Integrative Health and Healing at the University of Minnesota. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she paused her studies to help reopen Morgenstern’s, now Indiana’s largest independent bookstore.
In 2023, Prof. Eads became a full-time lecturer at IU School of Nursing in Bloomington, sharing her passion for early intervention screening, developmentally-informed pediatric care, and integrative health. She is an advocate for nursing education, especially for first-generation students and those serving marginalized communities. Continuing her studies at University of Minnesota, she focuses on resiliency, empathy, and ways to mitigate burnout and depersonalization in health care. She is a faculty advisor for the Future Minority Nurses Association, a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, and a Certified Yoga Teacher. She also enjoys poetry, music, and spending time with her children.
Media Features
Wright, A. Indiana Public Media (September 27, 2024). "Indiana needs thousands of nurses. Colleges are trying to help." [Video, Audio, Print]. https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/indiana-needs-nurses-colleges-are-trying-to-help.php
Indiana University Broadcasting (September 2023) "Testing A1C Levels at First Thursdays, IU Arts & Humanities and School of Nursing." [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMg8h9gcK2M
External Funding
2024, IU School of Nursing Community Health Screening Events, SCI AHEC Hoosier Uplands, $2980.
Publications
Eads, S. (2020). Natural selection. In M. Johansen (Ed.) She Speaks Up: The Jessie Butler Women's Poetry Contest Anthology. Sierra Muses Press.
Eads, S. (2020). Balancing tree. Tiny Seed Literary Journal. https://tinyseedjournal.com/2020/05/04/balancing-tree/
Eads, S. (2019). Seed saver. In T. Maynard (Ed.), Nature 20/20 (p. 17). Willowdown Books.