Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH

Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, is Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN), where she holds the Valere Potter Distinguished Chair in Nursing.

Since being named VUSN’s ninth dean, Dr. Jeffries has spearheaded a variety of innovative initiatives for the 115+ year-old school. Her bold strategic vision has yielded remarkable outcomes. The launch of a new degree, the Master of Nursing, that fast-tracks non-nurses into master’s-prepared RN positions in just four semesters, and the launch of a nurse anesthetist (CRNA) program, both address critical workforce demands. And, through the creation of the Office of External Learning, the nursing faculty's intellectual expertise is extended into the broader world through micro-learning credentials and badges for professional development. This work has earned VUSN the designation as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, and, in spring 2026, US News & World Report ranked the school’s MSN program No. 5, the highest it has ever been ranked.

Dr. Jeffries is known internationally for her research and work in nursing, simulation and health care. She is recognized for her scholarly contributions to leadership, innovative teaching strategies, experiential learning techniques, new pedagogies and the delivery of content using technology.

As principal investigator on grants funded by federal and state agencies and national organizations, Dr. Jeffries has provided leadership and mentorship on groundbreaking projects impacting nursing practice and education. With the National League for Nursing, she developed the major contribution to simulation scholarship, the framework and monograph now known as the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory.

Dr. Jeffries is a sought-after keynote speaker, and her publication topics include nursing education, clinical simulations, and health care policy. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Society for Simulation in Healthcare and Academy of Nurse Educators and an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Executive Fellows program. She has been inducted into the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame and received the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Excellence Award. Dr. Jeffries is active in professional organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Network of Simulations in Healthcare.

Dr. Jeffries received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ball State University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing from Indiana University.