Dr. Adrianna Watson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. She has over 15 years of bedside experience as a charge nurse and nurse leader in the field of critical care.
Dr. Watson's research focuses on nursing workforce support and sustainability, with particular attention to healthy work environments, professional formation across the nursing career trajectory, and ethical nursing practice.
Her work examines how individual, relational, and organizational factors shape nurses’ well-being, retention, and capacity to thrive in practice, with substantive programs of inquiry addressing motherhood and caregiving in nursing, professional identity development, secondary traumatic stress, and care for vulnerable populations in high-acuity settings.
Methodologically, Dr. Watson primarily favors qualitative approaches, including descriptive and interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenology and narrative inquiry, complemented by mixed-methods designs when appropriate. Her research is grounded in methodological rigor, reflexivity, and analytic integrity, with a strong emphasis on amplifying authentic nursing voices to inform education, practice, and policy.
Teaching Interests
Her teaching interests are in undergraduate nursing education, with a strong emphasis on clinical skills development, simulation-based learning, and preparing students for ethically complex practice environments. She is particularly interested in supporting professional formation and role identity development across the nursing curriculum. Her teaching integrates active learning strategies, simulation, and reflective practice to strengthen clinical judgment, teamwork, and readiness to respond to patient deterioration. Dr. Watson also prioritizes teaching approaches that promote workforce sustainability, resilience, and ethical practice.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, Leadership , University of Southern Mississippi (2022)
Master of Science in Nursing , Education , Utah Valley University (2019)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing , Old Dominion University (2011)
Licenses and Certifications
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Advocacy Certificate Program (2026 - Present)
Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings, Perinatal Neuroscience Foundations (2026 - Present)
Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (2025 - Present)
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Frontline Leader Certificate (2025 - Present)
American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sepsis Microcredential (2025 - Present)
American Association of Critical Care Nurses, COVID-19 Pulmonary and Ventilator Care Micro-Credential (2021 - Present)
National League for Nurses, Certified Nurse Educator (CNEn) (2025 - 2028)
Board of Certification for Emergency Nurses, Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (2017 - 2027)
Utah Board of Nursing, Registered Nurse (2014 - 2027)
QPR Institute, Suicide Prevention (QPR) Training (2025 - 2026)
American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Critical Care Registered Nurse (2017 - 2026)
Honors and Awards
Excellence in Nursing Mentorship, Iota Iota Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International
(2025 - 2025)
Excellence in Nursing Leadership, Wasatch Front Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses
(2024 - 2024)
Excellence in Compassionate Nursing Care, Wasatch Front Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses
(2023 - 2023)
Nursing Excellence in Innovation, Intermountain Health
(2022 - 2022)
Intermountain LiVe Well Heroes, Intermountain Health
(2021 - 2021)
Nursing Excellence Award, Intermountain Health
(2019 - 2019)
Excellence in Patient Safety , Sentara Healthcare
(2013 - 2013)
Sepsis Champion, Sentara Healthcare
(2012 - 2012)
Memberships
Society for Simulation in Healthcare (2024 - Present)
Transcultural Nursing Society (2024 - Present)
Western Institute of Nursing (2022 - Present)
National League for Nurses (2020 - Present)
American Nurses Association (2018 - Present)
Emergency Nurses Association (2017 - Present)
Society of Trauma Nurses (2017 - Present)
American Association of Critical Care Nurses (2015 - Present)
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (2010 - Present)
Association for Leadership Science in Nursing (2023 - 2025)
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (2017 - 2020)
Professional Citizenship
Other, MAG Aging and Family Services (2023 - Present)
Officer, American Association of Critical Care Nurse (2017 - 2027)
Editor, Associate Editor, Journal of Advanced Nursing (2025 - 2026)
Jennifer Brimhall RigbyRachael ClementMatthew Thomas AndersonJeanette DrakeSondra S HeastonCaroline EsplinElizabeth BoixNautica SpilkerAdrianna Lorraine Watson
