Laura A. Sardinia-Prager

Laura A. Sardinia-Prager is an Assistant Professor in the Nursing Department at Long Island University, School of Health Professions and Nursing. She teaches in both the RN Completion (RN-to-BSN) and Pre-licensure nursing programs, delivering core courses such as Issues in Professional Nursing, Fundamentals of Nursing labs, Nursing Informatics, and Introduction to Professional Nursing. She also serves as the Department Faculty Student Liaison and contributes to simulation lab coordination and faculty support.

Education:

• Ph.D., Molloy College, Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing
• MSN, Molloy College
• BSN, Molloy College

Dr. Prager's research is centered on intellectually and developmentally disabled (ID/DD) populations, particularly parental decision-making regarding residential group home placements for adult children with ID/DD. She is exploring nurse attitudes toward caring for ID/DD patients and aims to improve nursing curricula with targeted clinical and didactic experiences. Additional interests include early-onset Alzheimer’s in Down Syndrome and the psychosocial challenges faced by young breast cancer survivors re-entering family roles.

Her recent publications and presentations highlight work on mental illness stigma, shared decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration in ID/DD care. Her sole peer-reviewed article investigates predictors of mental illness stigma among college students using campus reading program vignettes, reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with sociology and public health.

Scientific Awards:

• Inducted into Sigma Theta Tau: International Honor Society in Nursing, Epsilon Kappa Chapter

Dr. Prager has advised no formally listed students in the provided text. She previously served as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Molloy College and has extensive clinical and administrative experience in nursing, spanning 33 years. She has not received mention of external grant funding, but her professional leadership includes presidency of the New York State ID/DD Nurses Association (2016–2018). She actively presents at national and regional conferences and collaborates with institutions such as NYU Langone, Stony Brook University, and Family Residences and Essential Enterprises.

Labs and Teams: Dr. Prager has played a key role in developing the Interprofessional Simulation Center at LIU, providing orientations for students and adjunct faculty. She informally coordinates simulation lab activities and supports weekly preparation of learning experiences, contributing to an integrated, team-based clinical education environment.