June 7, 2022
Shawnee State University has announced the 2022 Faculty Awards. As part of this year’s presentation, the recipient of the Early Career Faculty Teaching Award is Heather Johnson. An Assistant Professor in Nursing, Johnson has been with the university’s Department of Nursing since 2018.
An alumna of SSU, Johnson received her Licensed Practical Nursing from Scioto County Joint Vocational School before receiving her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from the SSU Department of Nursing. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Education from other institutions. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education in Nursing Education.
“Being nominated and receiving the Early Career Teaching Award is so meaningful for me and helps me validate my efforts that I have placed into my classes and students thus far,” she said. “I continually strive to provide the best education to my students, keeping content updated and observing the latest evidence-based practices that have been implemented with healthcare. Teaching others how to become a nurse has been a long-time dream, a dream that I now get to fulfill every day.”
Before joining the university’s Department of Nursing in fall 2018, Johnson worked in Southern Ohio Medical Center’s Emergency Department as a Staff Nurse and then as an Assistant Nurse Manager. At SSU, she has served as a Course Leader for several topics including Nursing Care of Adults and Children, Care of Diverse Populations, and LPN-RN transition course. She also sits on several university committees including those committees for College of Professional Studies Recruitment, Associate Degree in Nursing Curriculum, Department Curriculum, and Evaluation Committee.
The Early Career Faculty Teaching Award acknowledges outstanding teaching of a new member of the faculty at Shawnee State University and recognizes the excellence of faculty impact on students, scholarly approach to teaching and learning, and contributions to undergraduate education.