Assistant Professor Vuong T. Prieto, PhD, RN, CHSE, has been named to the newly created position of Assistant Dean of the Simulation and Clinical Performance Laboratory at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.

Her promotion, effective June 16, 2024, is part of a reorganization aimed at supporting continuous improvement in simulated educational experiences that prepare nursing students to provide high-quality care in real-world environments.

In October 2023, Prieto was named simulation education faculty director, and Assistant Professor Mandi M. Lyons, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, CHSE, was named standardized patient program coordinator. Lyons will continue in this key role, which involves working with actors who play patients in simulations.

“When we opened our expanded Sim Lab in 2020, we also opened the door to a host of new opportunities for enhancements in nursing education,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FAAN. “In this next step, Dr. Prieto will lead our efforts to establish policies and improve processes to further leverage the potential of this incredible resource.”

One recent milestone is the incorporation of the widely used Epic electronic health record system into simulations throughout Cizik School of Nursing’s graduate and undergraduate curricula. The Sim Lab plans to add more resources to support interprofessional Epic integration through faculty training and enhanced student experiences.

“I am honored and excited by the opportunity to work with our incredible staff and faculty as we continue to build on a strong foundation for innovative simulations that prepare our students for success in all health care settings,” Prieto said.

Prieto began teaching at Cizik School of Nursing as a clinical educator in 2013 and became an assistant professor in the Department of Undergraduate Studies after earning her Doctor of Philosophy in nursing from the school in 2020. She is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator with a background in child and adolescent health care. Prieto holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a Master of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.