Faculty Profile for Dr. Michelle Nighswander

Biography Section

Biography and Education

After graduating from the University of Iowa, I moved to Texas in 1992 and have been practicing nursing in Texas ever since. I have a wide background of nursing experiences which are mainly based in outpatient care. I earned my Masters in Nursing-Education from Texas A&M University in 2017. I earned my PhD in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2024. I taught in the School of Nursing at Texas State University as adjunct faculty since 2017. I taught nursing in the accelerated online BSN program at Concordia University for 2 semesters in 2018. I started as an Assistant Professor (Tenure track) at Texas State University in August 2024.

Teaching Interests

I currently teach in the undergraduate program at the School of Nursing at Texas State University. I would eventually like to also teach in the graduate program at Texas State University.

Research Interests

My research focuses on the challenges surrounding childhood mental disabilities and the impact these conditions have upon families. I want to research ways to assist parents and families raising children with mental disabilities and create effective supports to both strengthen families and improved children's successful transition to adulthood. My initial research explored how parents managed their daily parenting challenges caused by childhood emotional disturbance. I wish to validate those qualitative findings in a larger sample, as well as study methods to assist parents' coping with these challenging conditions. My research goals are to find provide parents and families with management methods which can be utilized in the home environment, to relieve the isolation and lack of confidence parents currently experience, and improve collaboration between parents, healthcare professionals and educational professionals for the betterment of the child's long-term outcome.