Background

Dr. Stephanie Schaller specializes in pediatric nursing education and the integration of innovative teaching strategies. As founder of NursEdvance Innovations, LLC, she develops interactive tools such as the 3D-printed CardioEducator and AI-enhanced Study Navigator. Her contributions to advancing nursing education have been nationally recognized.

Education:

• Doctorate of Nursing Practice, University of South Carolina (2022)
• Master's of Science in Nursing, University of South Carolina (2006)
• Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, University of South Carolina (1998)

Selected awards:

• 2025 Innovision Award Finalist: Education Category
• 2024 Marilyn Edmunds JNP Manuscript of the Year for 2024
• 2024 USC Center Career Influencer

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Nursing 425: Nursing Children and Families
• Nursing 314: Clinical Reasoning in Nursing Practice

Graduate

• Nursing 737 Foundations for DNP Development

Research

• Simulation-based learning and communication training
• Artificial intelligence in nursing education
• 3D printing for health education manipulatives
• Child Maltreatment Screening

Dissemination

Chappell, K. K., Schaller, S. L., Davis, V. H., and Clement, S. (2025). You can do it too: Development of an AI-enhanced study aide. 2025 National League for Nursing (NLN) Summit. Orlando, FL, September 2025.

Schaller, S.L., Niermeier, Davis, V., Gooding, S. V. Measuring Nursing Student Communication Competency Through Simulation. International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning 25 Conference. Denver, Colorado. June 2025.

Schaller, S. L. & Chappell, K. K. (2025). Innovative teaching for inclusive learning: A pilot study using a 3D printed heart model. Access Connection Engagement Symposium, Indianapolis, IN, June 2025.

Harris, E., Barnes, N. & Schaller, S. (2024). Addressing Adolescent Sexual Behaviors in Juvenile Detention: A Trauma-Informed Care Approach. 2024 South Carolina Nursing Association State Convention. Myrtle Beach, SC, October 2024.

Schaller, S. L. & Chappell, K. K. (2024). A Tale as Old as Time: Confronting Bias when Implementing Evidence-Based Practice Changes in Child Abuse Screening. APSAC's 31st Annual Colloquium June 2024. New Orleans, LA

Schaller, S. and Chappell, K. K. (2023). The use of a clinical pathway to increase child abuse screenings of young children with fractures. AANP National Conference. New Orleans, LA

Professional Practice

Dr. Schaller is a practicing pediatric nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience in both orthopedics and child maltreatment. Her ongoing clinical practice enriches her teaching and scholarship, ensuring that her innovative approaches remain grounded in patient-centered care.

Research Studies (selected)

• AI Enhanced Study Navigator: An Innovative Study Aide. (2025). College of Nursing Innovative Teaching Intramural Grant, $10,000.
• Building Bridges to Learning: Advancing Congenital Cardiac Defect Understanding through 3D Printing in Nursing Education. (2024). College of Nursing Heln Gurely Wolford Intramural Grant, $10,000. 

Publications (selected)

Schaller, S. L., Bowers, T., Rosier, L.K. & Chappell, K. K. (2025). Innovating nursing education through 3D technology: Development of a congenital heart defect model. Nursing Education Perspectives. DOI: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001446.  

Schaller, S., Chappell, K. K., Felder, A., & Ribar, A. (2024). The implementation of a clinical pathway to improve child abuse screening in young children with fractures: A quality improvement analysis. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 20(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2024.104935

Schaller, S., Chappell, K., Felder, A., & Ribar, A. (2024). The implementation of a clinical pathway to improve child abuse screening in young children with fractures: A quality improvement analysis. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 20(3). DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2024.104935. 

Vick, L. L., Raynor, P. A., Baliko, B., Bush, R., Hutto, A., Potts, M., Inman, D., Schaller, S., Nelson, C., Ribar, A., Worthy, K., McCormick, J. (2023). Addressing the mental health of nursing students during the pandemic: The evaluation of a needs assessment by a college of nursing mental health task force. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 29(6), 447-456. doi:10.1177/10783903231205495

Garner, S. M., Reparaz, L., Justice, J., Foster, A. P., Litzenberger, S., Bell, N., Schaller, S. L., Spoor, K., Cull, J., Watson, C. M., and Dunkelberger, L, C. (2023). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement in trauma patients: Early vs delayed initiation of enteral feeding. The American Surgeon (published online February 2023). doi: 10.1177/00031348231157880