Rate My Professor Prudence Andrus

Prudence Andrus, professionally known as Prue Andrus, serves as Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean (Education) in the School of Nursing, College of Health and Education at Murdoch University. With over two decades of experience in nursing education, she has played a pivotal role in advancing simulation-based learning, clinical education, and innovative teaching practices to bridge the theory-practice gap for nursing students. As Academic Lead for Simulation, she oversees the utilization of simulated learning environments, including Sim Suites, to prepare students for real-world clinical challenges. Her contributions extend to the renewal and enhancement of Murdoch University's Bachelor of Nursing program, emphasizing patient safety, situation awareness, and collaborative partnerships between academia and hospitals.

Andrus holds a Master's degree from Murdoch University (2007–2010), a Bachelor of Science from Curtin University (1992), and a Diploma of Science from the Western Australian Institute of Technology (1979–1981), along with qualifications as a registered nurse (MHMQ, RN). Her research specializations include nursing education, clinical simulations, situation awareness training, and patient safety skills. Key publications co-authored by her encompass 'Renewal of an entry to practice baccalaureate nursing program: The Murdoch University journey' (2018, Journal of Nursing Education and Practice), 'Development and Validation of the Performance-Based Situation Awareness Observation Schedule' (2019, Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing), 'The influence of situation awareness training on nurses' confidence about patient safety skills: A prospective cohort study' (2018), 'Bridging the theory practice gap through clinical simulations in a nursing undergraduate degree program in Australia,' and 'Academia and hospital perspectives on collaborative partnerships: What works?'. She has earned significant recognition, including WA Nurse Educator of the Year (2017, WANMEA), Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching for simulation development with Dr. Martin Hopkins, and a team citation in the Australian Awards for University Teaching (2016) and award for the nursing e-portfolio (2019). These achievements underscore her influence in elevating nursing education standards and nurse preparedness.