Tonya Thompson, DNP, RN has been named the recipient of the 2024 David H. Wilks Memorial Award for Excellence in Simulation presented by the West Virginia University David and Jo Ann Shaw Center for Simulation Training and Education Patient Safety. Thompson is a clinical education associate professor and coordinator of the accelerated bachelor’s program in the School of Nursing on the Morgantown campus.
Created in honor of the late Dr. David H. Wilks, who led the foundation of STEPS at WVU Health Sciences, the award acknowledges the dedication of faculty who set high standards in teaching and learning in simulation education.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with such amazing experts and faculty in STEPS,” Thompson said. “It is essential to encourage our students to work together with and communicate openly with students from other schools right from the start. In doing this, they may be more likely to reach out to one another and share diverse perspectives in patient care. Our dedication to interprofessional education has the potential to improve the safety and quality of care in our community, state and global areas.”
Thompson is recognized as consistently working to create unique clinical simulation experiences and developing interprofessional education opportunities that benefit not only nursing students but also students enrolled in other health sciences academic programs, such as occupational therapy. Through these experiences, students begin to recognize and exhibit teamwork through effective communication that fosters improved patient safety.
Colleagues Heather Carter-Templeton, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Adult Health Department, and Andrea Bailey, PhD, clinical assistant professor and director of nursing simulation, nominated Thompson for the award.
“Tonya is widely recognized within our college and across affiliated nursing campuses as one of our more creative faculty members,” Carter-Templeton said. “Through her scholarship as well as positive student feedback, I have observed her ability to meet students’ learning needs through the consistent and creative use of the simulation and the clinical skills lab.”
In addition to supporting student learning, Thompson serves as a valuable resource for faculty across disciplines and nurse clinicians. Her efforts encourage collaboration and innovation in simulation and didactic teaching.
“She brings great knowledge to nursing practice and is disseminating that knowledge through classroom instruction by providing assignments and experiences that demonstrate how nurses can positively impact the course of nursing and other aspects of healthcare,” Carter-Templeton added. “While beneficial to students, faculty from all disciplines also benefit from these experiences by gaining insight into students’ ability to apply course material into realistic simulation experiences.”
This is the fourth year the Wilks Award has been presented. Winners are announced annually during Healthcare Simulation Week.
STEPS is a state-of-the-art center for experiential learning, simulation and patient safety. By providing a safe learning environment with fully responsive technology, students are safer and smarter before encountering patients in everyday and critical care situations. This year marks the 15th anniversary of STEPS at WVU.
Photo at Top: Tonya Thompson (left) receives the 2024 David H. Wilks Memorial Award for Excellence in Simulation from Dr. Dorian Williams, medical director for the WVU STEPS Center.