Susan Gross Forneris, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE-A, FAAN

Susan Gross Forneris PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE-A, FAAN is currently Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the University of Minnesota, School of Nursing. Dr. Forneris has been a nurse educator for over twenty years. As a former Director for Innovation in Education Excellence at the National League for Nursing, she has been working in the field of simulation education since 2003. She served as a simulation expert for the NLN ACE.S Team (Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors) and a simulation author for the NLN ACE.Z Alzheimer’s simulation scenario series. In her work with the NLN she has traveled to Taiwan, China and South Korea working closely with those country’s nursing education influencers to prepare faculty in teaching and learning best practices with emphasis in simulation. She is instrumental in the design and implementation of faculty development courses focused on the science of teaching and learning, curriculum and instructional design, simulation foundations, debriefing, and learner evaluation.  
 
Dr. Forneris’ expertise is in curriculum development with emphasis on experiential teaching and learning that intersects with her research on critical thinking. Her publications focus on the development and use of reflective teaching strategies to enhance critical thinking. She co-authored the publications Critical Conversations: The NLN Guide for Teaching Thinking and Critical Conversations: From Monologue to Dialogue. Recognized nationally and internationally for her expertise and leadership driving programs on faculty preparation to teach, she was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2018.   
 
Dr. Forneris began her nursing career with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Scholastica, in Duluth MN. She completed her Masters and PhD degrees in nursing at the University of Minnesota with emphasis in nursing education and educational psychology. She is a former Professor of Nursing at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN.

PhD, University of Minnesota
Major: Nursing

MS, University of Minnesota
Major: Nursing

BA, College of St. Scholastica
Major: Nursing

• Simulation Scholar in Residence, National League for Nursing

• Academic Nurse Educator Certification (CNE), National League for Nursing
• Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced (CHSE-A), Society for Simulation in Healthcare
• Registered Nurse, Minnesota Board of Nursing

• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing, 2019
• Debra L. Spunt Lecture, National League for Nursing, 2018

• American Academy of Nursing
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• International Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning
• National League for Nursing
• Society for Simulation in Healthcare

Forneris, S. G., & Patterson, B. J. (2025). Teaching for learning in mind: An evidence-based model. Nursing Education Perspectives, 46(3), 167–172. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001384 

Patterson, B., & Forneris, S. G. (2023). Faculty as learner: Neuroscience in action. Journal of Nursing Education, 62(5), 291-297. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20230306-02 
 
Forneris, S. G., & Patterson, B. (2023). Faculty development: Preparing to teach. In J. Noon, & P. Gubrud-Howe (Eds.), Best practices in teaching nursing (pp. 67-84). Wolters Kluwer. 

Forneris, S. G., Tagliareni, M. E., & Allen, B. (2022). Accelerating to practice: Defining a competency-based curriculum framework for nursing education: Part 1. Nursing Education Perspectives, 43(6), 363-368. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000954 
 
Forneris, S.G., Mariani, B., Daniels, A., & Bradley, C. S. (2022). Benchmarking educational best practices: Underpinnings from simulation. In P. R. Jeffries (Ed.), Clinical simulations in nursing education: Advanced concepts, trends, and opportunities (2nd ed.). National League for Nursing. 
 
Forneris, S. G., Mariani, B., Daniels, A., Bradley, C. S., & Fey, M.K. (2022). From vision statement to reality: Education best practices across the curriculum: EPQ-C. In P.R. Jeffries (Ed.), The NLN Jeffries simulation theory (2nd ed., pp. 57-64). National League for Nursing 

Forneris, S. G., & Fey, M. (Eds.). (2020). Critical conversations (Volume 2): From monologue to dialogue. National League for Nursing. 
 
Forneris, S. G. (2020). Teaching and learning in simulations. In D. M. Billings, & J. A. Halstead (Eds.), Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed., pp. 353-373). Elsevier. 

Waxman, K. T., Bowler, F., Forneris, S. G., Kardong-Edgren, S., & Rizzolo, M. (2019). Simulation as nursing education disruptor. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 43(4), 300-305. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000369 
 
Forneris, S. G. (2019). One belt, one road: Bringing the NLN together with nursing education leaders from China. Nursing Education Perspectives, 40(5), 313. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000569 
 
Forneris, S. G., & Fey, M. (Eds.). (2018). Critical conversations: The NLN guide for teaching thinking. National League for Nursing.

Forneris, S. G. "Faculty as Learners: A Cognitive Shift," American Association of Colleges of Nursing Transform Conference, New Orleans, LA. (December 2024).

Forneris, S. G. & Patterson, B. “Transition to Practice: Competence-Based Framework for Workforce Readiness,” International Council of Nurses Congress, Montreal, Canada. (July 2023).

Forneris, S. G. “Activating the Learning Encounter: From Monologue to Dialogue with ACE Resources,”  Massachusetts/Rhode Island League for Nursing Conference. (March 2022).

Forneris, S. G. & Patterson, B. “Neuroscience and Nurse Faculty Development: A Cognitive Shift,” Nursing Education Today/Nursing Education in Practice Annual Conference, Barcelona, Spain. (October 2022).

Forneris, S. G. “Teaching for Use of Content,” Ohio League for Nursing Education Summit, Virtual. (April 2021).

Forneris, S. G. “Rethinking the Practice of Teaching,” Simulation User Network, Laerdal Medical, Virtual. (October 2020).

Forneris, S. G. “Diffusion of Innovation in Education and Practice: Why Forge Ahead”, Simulation User Network, Laerdal Medical, Las Vegas, NV. (October 2019).

Forneris, S. G. “Empowering Nurse as Leader”, Peking University Hospital Leadership Lecture, Peking University, Beijing, China. (November 2018).

Forneris, S. G. “On the Shoulders of Giants…Building Innovation in Teaching Excellence”, National League for Nursing Education Summit Debra Spunt Lecture Series, Chicago, IL. (September 2018).

Award: Care of LGBTQ+ Population Simulation Curriculum Development
Principle Investigator: Forneris, Susan
Sponsoring Organization: Hearst Grant
Award Dates: 2021-2023

Award: NLN China Leadership Development in Simulation Nursing Education
Principle Investigator: Forneris, Susan
Sponsoring Organization: Laerdal Medical
Award Dates: 2018-2021

Award: NLN Center for Innovation in Simulation and Technology
Co-Principle Investigator: Forneris, Susan
Sponsoring Organization: Excelsior Grant
Award Dates: 2014-2018