Overview
With over three decades of experience in nursing education, clinical practice, and healthcare simulation, Dr. Sheppard brings extensive expertise to nursing education and professional development.
Previously serving as Undergraduate Director of Nursing and Clinical Professor at Merrimack College from 2018 to 2025, Dr. Sheppard was instrumental in establishing the nursing program, obtaining Massachusetts Board of Registration full approval, and achieving CCNE accreditation. Her leadership included developing a comprehensive curriculum, establishing clinical partnerships, and mentoring faculty and students. Prior to Merrimack College, she was a full time nursing faculty for 8 years and a Nursing Program Coordinator for three years at Saint Anselm College.
Her clinical background spans critical care, cardiovascular surgical, and medical- surgical/telemetry nursing, with leadership roles including Clinical Nurse Specialist, Heart Transplant Coordinator, and Clinical Nurse Educator at Hines VA Medical Center in Illinois and Catholic Medical Center in New Hampshire. Her simulation expertise has advanced nursing education through innovative programs and technology-enhanced learning.
As a scholar, Dr. Sheppard has contributed to nursing literature through her research on the use of standardized patient simulation with medication administration, and its affect on student confidence. She is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the American Nurses Association, has presented at national conferences, and is licensed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Selected Publications
Sheppard, L., Effectiveness of Standardized Patient Simulation Scenarios on Medication Administration Confidence in Nursing Students (July 28, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3144117
Leavitt, B. J., Sheppard, L. S., Maloney, C., Clough, R. A., Braxton, J. H., Charlesworth, D. C., Weintraub, R. M., Hernandez, F., Olmstead, E. M., Nugent, W. C., O’Connor, G. T., & Ross, C. S. for the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group. (2004). Effect of diabetes and associated conditions on long-term survival after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Circulation, 110 (suppl.), II-41 – II-44.
