Michelle Knuppe

Michelle Knuppe serves as Clinical Experiences Director and Instructor in the Department of Nursing at the University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls. She oversees clinical learning experiences across lab, simulation, and patient care settings while maintaining an active teaching role in the BSN program.

Her educational qualifications include:

• MS in Nursing Education from University of Southern Indiana (2013)
• BS in Nursing from South Dakota State University (1996)

Specializing in maternal/child health nursing, she integrates classroom instruction with advanced simulation techniques to train future nurses. Her scholarship focuses on optimizing clinical education through preceptor development and explores preventive respiratory interventions for healthcare-associated pneumonia. She actively mentors both nursing students and faculty, emphasizing the critical role of educators in shaping the nursing profession.

Professional recognition includes:

• Excellence in Service Award from University of South Dakota Nursing Department (2016)

With 14 years of clinical nursing experience and 12 years in academic roles, she combines frontline expertise with educational leadership. As Sioux Falls site director, she coordinates clinical placements and faculty development while ensuring alignment between theoretical instruction and practical application. Her work directly impacts student preparedness through carefully curated clinical rotations facilitated by expert nurse educators.

She maintains active involvement in nursing professional development through conference presentations on preceptor effectiveness and clinical education innovation.