Saundra R. Farmer

Saundra R. Farmer is an Associate Professor and Founding Chair of the BSN Program at the School of Nursing, Emory & Henry College. She joined the institution in 2018, bringing over three decades of nursing experience in psychiatric/mental health care and nursing education. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Northern Kentucky University, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Capital University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from King College.

Her teaching focuses on Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and Nursing Informatics, with a strong emphasis on simulation-based learning. Dr. Farmer has pioneered the use of standardized patient simulation to reduce nursing student anxiety during clinical encounters. Her research explores caring behaviors in simulation scenarios, suicide prevention in medical settings, and culturally competent care for deaf mental health patients.

Professionally, she has held roles at Capital University, Carson-Newman University, and worked clinically with diverse populations including the severely mentally ill, homeless dual diagnosis patients, and deaf communities. Her work integrates clinical practice, education, and innovation in nursing pedagogy.

Her scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed articles in the International Journal for Human Caring and presentations at conferences like the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. She is actively involved in advancing rural health nursing through her editorial contributions to Rural Health Nursing: Barriers and Benefits.