Summary
Samantha Best is a Lecturer II at the Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she brings more than a decade of experience in nursing practice, education and professional development. She teaches undergraduate students in didactic, simulation, and clinical settings.
Best is a proud alumna of the University of Nevada, Reno, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Orvis School of Nursing in 2011. She began her nursing career at Renown Regional Medical Center on the telemetry units. She gained experience in managing groups of complex patients, precepting new nurses and serving as charge nurse for her unit. Best went on to work in a medical/surgical unit; Renown’s Float pool, where she gained experience caring for post-partum and pediatric patients; and the neurosurgery unit, caring for patients who had undergone brain and spine surgeries. It was at this time that she knew her passion for education and enrolled in her master’s degree program. These experiences have shaped her commitment to developing clinically competent, compassionate, and practice-ready nursing professionals.
Prior to joining academia full-time, Best served as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Renown Health for seven years, leading the development and delivery of educational programs for nurses and healthcare professionals across a variety of learning environments. Her work included curriculum design, simulation-based education, competency management, orientation programs, professional development initiatives and the creation of evidence-based didactic, virtual, and e-learning content. She has extensive experience teaching complex nursing concepts to diverse learner populations and mentoring nurses in evidence-based practice projects and professional growth.
Scholarly interests and clinical expertise
- New Graduate RN Role Transition
- Student and New Graduate Resiliency
- Nursing History
- Nursing Ethics
- Telemetry
- Medical/Surgical
- Post-Op Neurosurgery
Teaching philosophy
Best’s teaching philosophy is grounded in the creation and maintenance of a psychologically safe learning environment, one in which students feel valued, supported and confident that their instructor recognizes their potential for success. Central to her teaching philosophy is the importance of knowing students as individuals. By understanding their unique strengths, learning needs and opportunities for growth, she is better able to support their development and foster meaningful learning experiences. She finds great fulfillment in helping students recognize their own capabilities and in contributing to their growth as learners and professionals.
She believes that students learn most effectively through active, hands-on engagement with course material. Whenever possible, she seeks to incorporate experiential learning opportunities not only in laboratory and clinical settings but also within the didactic classroom. These tangible learning experiences promote deeper understanding, stronger critical-thinking skills, and greater mastery of course concepts.
Her approach to course design emphasizes purposeful learning activities and assignments that focus on meaningful student outcomes. She believes that every learning experience should provide students with knowledge, skills or insights that are directly relevant to their academic and professional development.
Ultimately, Best’s goal is to create an engaging and supportive learning environment in which students feel empowered to take risks, grow from challenges, and reach their full potential as learners and future practitioners.
Courses taught
- NURS 317 – Nursing Fundamentals: Theory
- NURS 318 – Nursing Fundamentals Practicum
- NURS 318L – Nursing Fundamentals Lab
- NURS 346 – Nursing Care of the Individual I: Practicum
- NURS 346L – Nursing Care of the Individual I: Lab
- NURS 434L – Nursing Care of the Individual II: Laboratory, Coordinator and Lab Faculty
Education
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Nursing Education, Western Governors University, 2018
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), University of Nevada, Reno, Orvis School of Nursing, 2011
Professional certifications
- Nevada Registered Nurse (RN)
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider, American Heart Association
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor, American Heart Association
Award
- Daisy Team Award, Renown Regional Medical Center, 2019