Dr. Melanie Wynja serves as professor of nursing at Dordt University. Committed to the education of tomorrow’s distinctly Christian nurses and minimizing the gap between education and practice for new nurses, Wynja seeks to implement and advance best practice in all areas of nursing education including pedagogy, simulation, and NCLEX preparation.
“I am passionate about preparing safe, competent, caring professionals,” adds Wynja. “I am specifically committed to advancing simulation pedagogy to increase students’ critical thinking skills and clinical judgment, address the education-practice gap, and ultimately affect safe patient outcomes. Viewing all students and those we care for as image bearers as I humbly serve my calling with all glory to God.”
Dr. Wynja brings over 30 years of diverse clinical experience, including neurology, rural hospital care (medical-surgical and obstetrics), occupational health, and mental health. Before joining Dordt, she served as a nursing instructor and simulation coordinator in LPN and ADN programs, experiences that now inform her work in the BSN curriculum.
A Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), Dr. Wynja is a recognized leader in simulation-based nursing education. She has presented at local, state, national, and international conferences and webinars, and has been invited to write NCLEX exam questions on five occasions. She also serves as a peer reviewer for multiple academic texts and book chapters across various publishers.
In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Dr. Wynja is an active contributor to the professional community. She is a member of the Internal Relations Committee for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and chairs the North Region of the Iowa Simulation in Healthcare Networking Group.
Outside of her professional work, Dr. Wynja enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, three adult daughters, and son-in-law. Her hobbies include biking, swimming, walking, and traveling. She also volunteers at triathlon and community events.
Education
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Transformative Leadership – Morningside University, Sioux City, IA, 2022
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Nursing Education – Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ, 2013
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – Briar Cliff College, Sioux City, IA, 1996