Shellie Simons is an Associate Professor in the Susan and Alan Solomont School of Nursing at UMass Lowell.

Shellie R. Simons

Associate Professor Emerita

College
Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences
Department
Susan and Alan Solomont School of Nursing

Expertise

Horizontal (lateral) violence, workplace bullying, workplace retention; enteral feeding; critical thinking in nursing education

Research Interests

Workplace violence, Workplace bullying, Lateral violence, The Transition to practice: From Student to Registered Nurse

Education

  • Ph.D.: Nursing and Health Policy, (2006), University of Massachusetts Boston - Boston, MA
    Dissertation/Thesis Title:Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization
  • MS: Medical-Surgical Nursing / Clinical Specialist, (1977), Boston University - Boston, MA
  • BS: Nursing, (1973), State University of New York - Plattsburgh, N.Y

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Nominated for Teacher Award for exceeding excellence in teaching (2010), Teaching - Student Government Association
  • Nursing Department Faculty Teaching Award (2010), Teaching - UMass Lowell MA
  • Theta Alpha Brenda Cherry Research Grant (2004), Scholarship/Research - Sigma Theta Tau
  • Theta-at Large Research Award (2004), Scholarship/Research - Sigma Theta Tau
  • ThetaAlpha Chapter Doctoral Scholarship (2002), Scholarship/Research - Sigma Theta Tau International, Inc
  • Janet Dunphy Doctoral Scholarship by District (1998), Scholarship/Research - Massachusetts Nurses Association.
  • Excellence in Academic Nursing Education Award by District 5, (1997), Service, Professional - Massachusetts Nurses Association

Selected Publications

  • Peters, A.B., ElGhaziri, M., Morse, B., Simons, S.R., Taylor, R. (). An Exploratory Study of Bullying Among School Nurses: Prevalence and Impact. Journal of School Nursing.
  • ElGhaziri, M., Simons, S.R., Lipscomb, J., Storr, C.L., McPhaul, K., London, M., Trinkoff, A.M., Johnson, J.V. (2020). Understanding the Impact of Bullying in a Unionized U.S. Public Sector Workforce. Workplace health & safety, 68(3) 139-153.
  • Peters, A.B., El-Ghaziri, M., Quinn, B., Simons, S.R., Taylor, R. (2020). An Exploratory Study of Bullying Exposure Among School Nurses: Prevalence and Impact. The Journal of school nursing : the official publication of the National Association of School Nurses, 1059840519897308.
  • ElGhaziri, M., Simons, S.R., Lipscomb, J., Storr, C.L., McPhaul, K., London, M., Trinkoff, A.M., Johnson, J.V. (2019). Understanding the Impact of Bullying in a Unionized U.S. Public Sector Workforce. Workplace health & safety, 2165079919883286.
  • ElGhaziri, M., Storr, C.L., Simons, S.R., Trinkoff, A.M., McPhaul, K.M., London, M., Johnson, J.V., Lipscomb, J. (2019). Comparative psychometric review of the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised in a unionized U.S. public sector workforce. Work (Reading, Mass.), 62(1) 161-171.
  • Simons, S.R., Sauer, P. (2013). An Exploration of the Workplace Bullying Experience: Coping Strategies used by Nurses. Journal of Nurses in Staff Development, 29 228-232.
  • Simons, S.R., Remington, R. (2013). The Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube: A Nurse’s Guide to PEG Tubes. Medsurg Nursing: Official Journal of The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, 22(2) 77-83.
  • Abdallah, L.M., Simons, S.R., Catlin, A., Denney, A., Medas, J. (2012). Feeding Tube Placement. American Journal of Nursing, 112(5) 12-12.
  • Simons, S.R., Abdallah, L.M. (2012). Bedside Assessment of Enteral Tube Placement: Aligning Practice with Evidence. American Journal of Nursing, 112(2) 40-6; quiz 48, 47.
  • Simons, S.R., Stark, R.B., DeMarco, R.F. (2011). A New, Four-item Instrument to Measure Workplace Bullying. Research in nursing & health, 34(2) 132-40.
  • Simons, S.R., Mawn, B. (2010). Bullying in the Workplace--A Qualitative Study of Newly Licensed Registered Nurses. AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 58(7) 305-11.
  • Simons, S.R. (2008). Workplace Bullying Experienced by Massachusetts Registered Nurses and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization. ANS.Advances In Nursing Science, 31(2) E48-E59.
  • Simons, S.R. (2006). Workplace Bullying Experienced by Nurses Newly Licensed in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization (67:6- pp. 3065-3065). Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering

Selected Presentations

  • Impact of staff education and electronic medical record alerts on reducing hospital-wide sepsis mortality - Organization of Nurse Leaders, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & New Hampshire, September 2015 - Norwood, MA
  • A nursing school’s journey through cultural awareness, inclusivity, and civility - Hot Topics Conference – Civility Rising: Re-envisioning, re-creating, and Thriving in Academia and Practice, April 2015 - Las Vegas, NV
  • Retention, Graduation, and NCLEX-RN Success of Minority Nursing Students - Concurrent Paper Session Presentation at the 2011 NLN Education Summit, November 2013 - Orlando, FL
  • A qualitative study of the coping strategies used by nurses who are bullied at work. - Eastern Nursing Research Society 24th Annual Scientific Sessions, 2012 - New Haven, CT
  • Systematic Assessment of Curriculum Gaps to Improve Student Outcomes. - Regional Conference on Assessment in Higher Education, February 2012 - Lowell, MA
  • Coping strategies used by nurses who are bullied at work. - Eta Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, October 2011 - Lowell, MA
  • Where is the Evidence? Bedside Assessment of Nasogastric Feeding Tube Placement. - 15th Annual Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Conference, June 2011 - NYU Langone Medical Center, NY
  • Workplace hostility: An examination of lateral violence and bullying. - New England Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, April 2011 - Nashua, NH
  • A qualitative study of workplace bullying among nurses. - Rho Phi Chapter of Sigma Theta, April 2011 - Framingham, MA
  • Nurses who are bullied at work: A qualitative study of the bullying experience using content analysis. - School of Health and Environment Faculty Research Day, April 2011 - University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts. - Massachusetts General Hospital Research Group, May 2010 - Boston, MA
  • Lateral Violence in the Workplace: Reflections on Lessons Learned. - Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses 9th Annual Spring Conference, April 2010
  • Bullying among Massachusetts Nurses: Voices from Within. - Ending Horizontal Violence: Creating a Culture of Cohesion Among Nurses Conference, April 2009 - Providence, RI
  • Blueprinting Teacher-made Exams for Content Validity. - First Choice Training Institute, April 2009 - Salem, NH
  • Workplace Hostility: Why are nurses still eating their young? - Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Nursing Staff, January 2009 - Northampton, MA
  • The Bully Among Us: An Examination of Workplace Hostility. - Franciscan Children's Hospital, December 2008 - Brighton, MA
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization. - Nursing PhD Colloquia, October 2008 - University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Nurses Eating Their Young: Exploring Workplace Hostility and Horizontal violence. - Shriners Hospital for Children, October 2008 - Boston, MA
  • Caregiver vs Caregiver: Weêre all on the Same Team; Strategies to Improve the Relationship Between Nursing Professionals. - Western Massachusetts Nurses in Staff Development Organization (WMNSDO), October 2008
  • Test construction and evaluation: Making your tests measure. - First Choice Training Institute, August 2008 - Salem, NH
  • Workplace Bullying: Are Nurses Still Eating their Young? - Nursing Education Conference. Drexel University, June 2008 - Atlantic City, NJ
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization. - Eastern Nursing Research Society 18th Annual Scientific Sessions, 2006 - Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization. - Sigma Theta Tau Delta Epsilon Chapter's Research Day, 2006 - University of Rhode Island
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization. - Workplace Bullying, Third Annual International Conference, 2006 - Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
  • Workplace Bullying Among Nurses in Massachusetts. - Conflict Studies Conference, November 2006 - University of Massachusetts Boston
  • The Bully at Work. - Sigma Theta Tau, Theta Kappa Chapter, October 2006 - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
  • Using a Test Blueprint to Increase Exam Validity. - Rhode Island College, Department of Nursing, March 2006
  • Using the Item Analysis to Revise Your Exams. - Rhode Island College, Department of Nursing, November 2005
  • Introduction to the Item Analysis. - Rhode Island College, Department of Nursing, October 2005
  • Change in Time of Uncertainty: Research & Theory Based Empowerment to Retain Nurses. - Boston College Connell School of Nursing, August 2002
  • Bridging the NCLEX-RN Divide: Strategies for Success. - Teaching and Learning, Massachusetts Community College Conference, April 2002
  • Drop Out, Flunk Out, Wash Out: Creative Strategies for Academic Success. - Nurse Educator Conference, Cape Cod Community College, April 1999
  • Test Construction and Evaluation., 1997 - Lasell College, Newton, MA

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Research Grant: An Exploratory Study of Bullying Exposure among School Nurses: Prevalence and Impact (2017), Grant - National Association of School Nurses
    Quinn, B. (Co-Principal), Peters, A.B. (Principal), ElGhaziri, M. (Co-Principal), Simons, S.R. (Co-Principal)
  • Bring Diversity and Leadership to Nursing (BDLN) (2012), Grant - HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant
    Melillo, K.D. (Principal), Dowling, J. (Co-Principal), Simons, S.R. (Co-Investigator), Knight, M. (Co-Investigator), Abdallah, L.M. (Co-Investigator), ,
  • Bring Diversity and Leadership to Nursing (2012), Grant - U.S. DHHS, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing
    Melillo, K.D. (Principal), Dowling, J. (Co-Principal), Abdallah, L.M. (Co-Investigator), Knight, M. (Co-Investigator), Simons, S.R. (Co-Investigator)
  • Bring Diversity to Nursing (2012), Grant -
    Simons, S.R. (Co-Principal)
  • Nurses who are bullied at work: A qualitative study of the bullying experience using content analysis. (2011), Grant - Eta Omega Chapter Sigma Theta Tau
    Simons, S.R. (Principal)
  • Workplace Bullying Among Newly Licensed Nurses in Massachusetts and the Relationship to Intention to Leave the Organization (2006), Grant - Theta at Large & Theta Alpha Chapters Sigma Theta Tau
    Simons, S.R. (Principal)