Education

Ph.D. Nursing Education-University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2016
M.S. Nursing, Nurse Educator-South Dakota State University 2008
B.S. Nursing-South Dakota State University 2002
B.A. International Business- Gonzaga University 1985

Academic Interests

Certified Medical Surgical Nurse (ANCC)
Certified Nurse Educator (NLN)
TLCW® Trained Facilitator
Leadership Practices Inventory® Coach

Academic Responsibilities

DNP or Ph.D. Committee Co-Chair
DNP or Ph.D. Committee member

Committee Activities

Subcommittee for bylaws and College of Nursing handbook
College of Nursing Ph.D. Program Subcommittee

Awards and Honors

SDNA Rookie of the Year Award, 2005
SDNA Nurse Educator Award, 2015
UNLV Outstanding Ph.D. Student, 2016
AACN LANP Fellow, 2018

Grants

Sub-Award PI: “Nurse Education, Practice Quality and Retention - Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies,” Sponsored by HRSA, Division of Nursing, Nursing Education, Practice Quality and Retention Program, Federal, $216,384.00. (September 30, 2022 – September 29, 2026). Montana State University, PTE.

Site Leader: "Impacting Models of Practice and Clinical Training for Registered Nurses and Students (IMPACT-RNS)," Sponsored by HRSA, Division of Nursing, Nursing Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Program, Federal, $2,751,222.00. (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2022). Mennenga, Heidi, Project Director.

Site Leader: “Nurse Education Practice Quality Retention- Registered Nurse in Primary Care COVID.” Sponsored by HRSA of the U.S. DHHS. $78,571. (2020-2021). Mennenga, Heidi, Project Director.

Project Director: “Generation Rx University Opioid Prevention and Education Sponsorship.” Sponsored by US DHHS pass-through SD DSS pass-through SDSM&T, $3461.70. (March 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020). Mahon, Pat, Project Director.

Project Director: "Assessing Pine Ridge's Health Care Workforce Current and Future Needs," Sponsored by HRSA Rural Health Network Planning Grant, Federal, $100,000.00. (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019). Plemmons, Christina, Project Director.

Council of Directors: "Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Education for Health Professionals in South Dakota students to provide the skills necessary to screen and refer patients who are at risk for substance abuse disorder.," Sponsored by Department of Health & Human Services, SAMHSA, Federal, $550,000.00. (2015-2018). Mylant, MaryLou, Project Director.

Site Coordinator/Content Expert: "Simulation, Informatics, Technology Enhancement (SITE) to Strengthen Quality and Delivery of Rural Nursing Education," Sponsored by US DHHS, HRSA, Federal, $1,099,614.00. (2011-2014). Tschetter, Lois, Project Director.

Curriculum Specialist: “Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future.” Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2010-2011). Diegel, Sandra, Project Director.

Professional Memberships

American Nurses Association
Sigma Theta Tau International, Phi Chapter
South Dakota Nurses Association
South Dakota Nurses Foundation (Board Member)

Area(s) of Research

Nursing Education, Clinical Academic Partnerships, Clinical Self-Efficacy, Clinical Teamwork

Applications of Research

Peer Reviewed Publications:
Abuatiq, A., Brown, R., Kvigne, V., Schmit, M., Currier, D., Hultman, C., Plemmons, C., & Mennenga, H. (2023). Nursing students’ self-efficacy and performance in self-management support for patients in rural primary care. Nursing Education Perspectives. In Press
Brown, R., Plemmons, C., Abuatiq, A., Hultman, C., Currier, D., Schmit, M., Kvigne, V., Walstrom, B., Horsley, L., & Mennenga, H. (2022). Evaluating knowledge of public health nursing competencies in baccalaureate nursing students. Nursing Education Perspectives, (online ahead of print). DOI: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001083
Abuatiq, A., Brown, R., Plemmons, C., Walstrom, B., Hultman, C., Currier, D., Schmit, M., Kvigne, V., Horsley, L., Mennenga, H. (2022). Nursing faculty and students’ satisfaction with telepresence robots during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse Educator, 47(2), E39-E42. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000001155
Mennenga, H., Brown, R., Horsley, T. L., Abuatiq, A., Plemmons, C. (2020). Collaborating with rural practice partners to provide a primary care experience for undergraduate nursing students. Nurse Educator, 46(2), E14-E17. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000876
Brown, R., Mennenga, H., Horsley, T.L., Plemmons, C., Abuatiq, A. (2020). Collaborating with rural practice partners to address the need for registered nurses in primary care. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 20(2). DOI: 10.14574/ojrnhc.v20i2.618
Plemmons, C., Clark, M., & Feng, D. (2018). Comparing student clinical self-efficacy and team process outcomes for a DEU, blended, and traditional clinical setting: A quasi-experimental research study. Nurse Education Today. 62(3), 107-111. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.12.029