Ashley E. Franklin

With her avid interest in science and an innate desire to help others, becoming a nurse was a natural decision for Ashley Franklin. And because of her passion for healthcare and interests in networking and service, becoming a member of STTI was also a positive and worthwhile choice for Ashley.

An STTI member since 2003, Ashley has reaped the benefits of membership, including serving as a chapter leader, receiving research funding, and networking with the best and brightest in nursing at STTI’s international and local events.

Ashley is currently the president-elect for Beta Alpha Chapter at Texas Christian University in Texas, USA, and she enjoys attending STTI conferences to understand the scope of the international organization.  “Networking at conferences helps me make connections with other academic researchers who have common interests,” Ashley says. “Plus, our local chapter helps me learn about service opportunities within my community. I feel like I am always meeting new people through [STTI].”

STTI continues to support Ashley in her professional journey by helping fund her research, which centers on using simulation to help novice nurses prepare to provide care for multiple patients simultaneously.  Specifically, the funding she received from the STTI Foundation’s Joan K. Stout Research Grant helped her conduct a pilot randomized control trial and develop an online intervention to help novice nurses learn about concepts like priority setting, delegation, and safety checks in acute care environments. 

“Ultimately, I hope my research will shape simulation learning activities for novice nurses during their final semester of school and also for new graduate orientation training programs in acute care settings,” says Ashley.  “My next steps in research are to look at the way novice nurses obtain and retain priority setting and delegation skills using a longitudinal design.”

In her 13-year membership with STTI, it’s evident that, as Ashley says, “STTI has impacted my career in academic nursing richly, especially related to networking and mentorship.”