Education

DNP, Indiana University
MSN, Indiana University
BSN, Indiana University

Research Areas

Nursing Education Sciences

Specialties and Expertise

Awards and Honors

Indiana University School of Nursing Core Values Award, 2023
Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award, 2019, 2022
Karen Cobb Scholarship of Teaching Award, Indiana University School of Nursing, 2021
Excellence in Teaching Award, Indiana League for Nursing, 2020
Excellence in Education Award, Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Chapter, 2020
Rebecca T. Markel Excellence in Mentoring Award, Sigma Theta Tau, 2019

Biography

Dr. Opsahl is an Associate Professor and Interim Associate Dean at Indiana University School of Nursing in Bloomington. Angela is currently the President of Alpha Chapter for the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society and on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Association for Healthcare Quality. In 2021, Dr. Opsahl was appointed to the National League for Nursing Commission as an On-Site Program Evaluator for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA), supporting continuous quality improvement and promoting excellence in national and international nursing education. As a current honors coordinator for the IU School of Nursing Honors Program at Bloomington, she enjoys mentoring students at all levels of education and finds it to be one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. She most recently served as the RN to BSN Statewide Degree Completion Option Director for nine campuses.

Angela has over 33 years of nursing experience. In her prior professional role, she was the Quality Data Manager for Franciscan St. Francis Health for the Central Indiana Region comprised of Carmel, Indianapolis, and Mooresville campuses. This position allowed her to impact patient safety and quality care through data collection and analysis of patient outcomes.

Dr. Opsahl has published over 23 peer-reviewed journal articles and provided over 50 peer-reviewed conference presentations, including international locations of Edinburgh, Scotland; Calgary, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; and Rome, Italy. Her scholarship is focused on ways to utilize active learning strategies in both academic and clinical settings, engaging students, faculty, and staff in patient safety and quality outcomes.

External Funding

2023. “Workplace Violence against Nurses and Conflict Management Symposium.” (PI). Sigma Theta Tau International: Global Council Grant.

2022-2023. “Evaluating the Oncology Related Education Needs of Emergency Nurses.” (Co-I). Emergency Nurses Association Foundation Grant.

2021-2022. “Implementing Scripted Case Studies Post-Clinical to Support Clinical Reasoning and Judgment Through an Academic–Practice Partnership.” (Co-PI). MICI-Area Health Education Center Grant.

Educational Grant 2020. “Utilizing Standardized Patients with Simulation to Support Concept-Based Curriculum for Diverse Patient Population Impact.” (PI). Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation.

Faculty Education Grant 2019-2020. “Undergraduate Nursing Student Perceptions of Facilitators and Inhibitors of Clinical Learning: A Multi-Site Study Utilizing Q Methodology.” (PI). Billings Foundation, administered by Indiana University.

Faculty Learning Community Scholar (2017). “Role of Reflection in SoTL FLC. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Just in Time Teaching: Implementing Top Hat Technology with a Collaborative Approach.” (Co-PI). Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

Faculty Teaching Grant 2016-2017. “High Fidelity Simulation for ACLS Certification in Undergraduate Nursing Students.” (Co-PI). East Indiana Area Health Education Center (EI-AHEC).

Publications

Lash, R., Bourenane, S., & Opsahl, A. (2024). Evaluating the Oncology-Related Education Needs of Emergency Nurses. Journal of Emergency Nursing. (Published ahead of print) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2023.12.005

Barnes, R., Remick, J., Hughes-Gay, M., Opsahl, A., Townsend, C., Lash, R., and Bartlett Ellis, R. (2023). The AACN Essentials Journey. Journal of Professional Nursing, 46, 19-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.11.010

Roush, K., & Opsahl, A. (2023). Internship Program Receives Return on Investment from Nurse Professional Development Efforts. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. 39(5), 261-266. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000867

Davis, S., Davis, E., Kivett, K., & Opsahl, A. (2022). Nurse Educator Perceptions of Workplace Collegiality. Nurse Educator, 47(5), 288-292. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000001194

Opsahl, A. G., Embree, J. L., Howard, M. S., Davis-Ajami, M. L., Herrington, C., Wellman, D. S., & Hodges, K. T. (2021). Adapting Civility Education in an Academic-Practice Partnership. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(12), 575-580.

McCrea, K. A., Leathers, B. N., Heitman, L. C., Hawkins, E. K., Abbott, T. M., & Opsahl, A. (2021). Transitioning Professional Development Classes to Virtual Instruction. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(9), 404-406, https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20210804-04

Roush, K., Opsahl, A., Ferren, M. (2021). Developing an internship program to support nursing student transition to clinical setting. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(4), 696-701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.04.001

Opsahl, A., Embree, J., & Howard, M. (2021). Innovative opportunities for civility: Professional development in a time of COVID-19. J Contin Educ Nurs. 52(1), 11-12. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20201215-05

Roush, K., Opsahl, A., Parker, K., & Davis, J. (2021). Business continuity planning: An effective strategy during an electronic health record downtime. Nurse Leader. 19(5), 525-531.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2021.01.003

Opsahl, A., Nelson, T., Madiera, J., & Wonder, A. (2020). Evidence-based, ethical decision making: Using simulation to teach the application of evidence and ethics in practice. Worldviews on Evidence-based Nursing. 17(6), 412-417. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12465

Opsahl, A. G., & Townsend, C. (2020). Mentoring to engage diverse undergraduate nursing students in honors research. Nursing Forum. 56(1), 19-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12503

Hughes-Gay, M., Opsahl, A., Kirby, K. & DeGraff, J. (2020). An educational collaboration for student nurse engagement on the essential skill of delegation. Teaching and Learning in Nursing. 16(1), 63-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2020.06.005

Opsahl, A., Judge, D., & Hensel, D. (2020). Teaching Q methodology to prelicensure nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(1), 39-41. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000447

Opsahl, A., & Horton-Deutsch, S. (2019). A nursing dashboard to communicate the evaluation of program outcomes. Nurse Educator, 44(6), 326-329. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000632

Judge, J. Murray, B., Morris, T., & Opsahl, A. (2019). Interprofessional education: A disaster response simulation activity for military medics, nursing, & paramedic science students. Nurse Education in Practice, 39, 67-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.08.004

Opsahl, A., Judge, D., Morris, T., Robinson, D., Werskey, K., & Edwards, B. (2019). Promoting a mock disaster simulation with leadership from a nurse residency program. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 14(3), 153-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2019.01.004

Judge, D. S., Opsahl, A., & Robinson, D. (2018). Collaboration between two schools of nursing: Emotional intelligence education for prelicensure students. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 13(4), 244-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2018.06.007

Judge, D., Opsahl, A., & Hensel, D. (2018). Q methodology: Teaching strategy to promote student engagement. Nurse Educator, 43(6), 285-286. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000503

Opsahl, A., Auberry, K., Sharer, B., & Shaver, C. (2018). A comprehensive educational approach to improving NCLEX-RN pass rates. Nursing Forum, 53(4), 549-553. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12285

Opsahl, A. G., Ebright, P., Cangany, M., Lowder, M., Scott, D., & Shaner, T. (2017). Outcomes of adding patient and family engagement education to fall prevention bundled interventions. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 32(3), 252-258. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000232