Naila Russell

Naila Russell has been affiliated with the graduate nursing program since fall of 2015. She has had the experience of teaching throughout the program as well as developing curriculum for a number of Nursing@Simmons courses.

As the Chair for Graduate Nursing, she strives to uphold our missions and values, deliver a rigorous curriculum, and mentor students and faculty for excellence. She is passionate about the role that nurse practitioners play in shaping the healthcare system and believes that nurse practitioners are the future of primary care in the United States. Her goal is for every Simmons graduate nursing student to leave the program prepared to advocate for social justice in health through patient care and professional leadership. She strives to achieve this goal for herself in her clinical practice, professional advocacy, and postgraduate education.

Education

• ADN, Northwestern Michigan College
• BSN, University of Phoenix
• DNP, University of Michigan-Flint

License/Certifications

• Registered Nurse: MA, MD, MI
• Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner: MA, MD, MI
• Family Nurse Practitioner: ANCC

Courses

• NURP 450 Healthcare Systems: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
• NURP 670 Health Policy

Area of Expertise

• Dermatology
• Health Policy

Research/Special Projects

• Fellowship in Health Policy and Media, the George Washington University Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement
• Harvard Medical School Media and Medicine Program

Publications/Presentations

• Living with COVID-19: voices from the grassroots. Journal for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. doi: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000607
• Why Nurse Practitioners Need Virgin River's Melinda Monroe, APRN The Journal for Nurse Practitioners 2020-04 | journal-article
  DOI: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.01.015
• America Needs Nurse Practitioners to Advocate for Social Justice The Journal for Nurse Practitioners 2020-10 | journal-article
  DOI: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.06.024
• Misinformation During COVID: How Should Nurse Practitioners Respond? The Journal for Nurse Practitioners 2021-04 | journal-article
  DOI: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.03.013
• Structural Racism in America: A Summative Content Analysis of National Nursing Organization Statements. Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice 2022-04 | journal-article https://doi.org/10.1177/15271544221089657

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

• Past President for the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland
• Legislative Committee Chair for the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners
• Legislative Committee member for Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland
• Member of American Association of Nurse Practitioners History Committee