Rate My Professor Ann Eckhardt

Ann Eckhardt, PhD, RN, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Graduate Nursing at the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She serves as Chair of the Department of Graduate Nursing, having previously acted as Interim Chair of Graduate Nursing Programs and Associate Chair of Clinical Education. Eckhardt earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012 and her BSN from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2003. Her professional background includes service as an Assistant Professor at Illinois Wesleyan University prior to joining UTA. As a registered nurse, she holds relevant licensures and certifications supporting her clinical and academic roles.

Eckhardt's research focuses on cardiovascular symptomatology, with particular attention to fatigue in patients with cardiovascular disease, as well as public and emergency department nurses' conceptions and decision-making related to chest pain in acute coronary syndrome. Notable publications include 'Fatigue in the Presence of Coronary Heart Disease' (Biological Research for Nursing, 2014), 'Gender Differences in the Public's Conceptions of Acute Coronary Syndrome Symptoms' (Heart & Lung, 2025), 'A Nationwide Study of Emergency Nurses' Triage...' (Journal of Emergency Nursing, 2024), and 'Healthcare Providers Conceptions of Chest Pain Differ from the Lay Public' (Circulation, 2025). She leads the state grant-funded project 'Innovative Solutions to Texas Nurse Faculty Shortage,' which pilots clinical teaching assistant programs, enhances preceptor recruitment and retention, explores virtual simulation for nurse practitioner education, and provides professional development for faculty, students, and simulation coordinators. Eckhardt has guided graduate nursing students on international health care experiences and her work on heart attack symptom misconceptions has received media coverage. She contributes to university committees and supports preceptor recognition initiatives.