Brandy Strahan
- Position: Interim Director of the School of Nursing and Professor
- Department: School of Nursing
- Office Location: Building 37 | Room 111
- bstrahan@uwf.edu
- Campus: 850.473.7763
Biography
Brandy Strahan, PhD, RN, CNE, Interim Director of the School of Nursing and Professor, teaches nursing education in the graduate nursing program and has taught Pediatric Nursing, Health Care Informatics, and Patient Centered Care.
Strahan is a pediatric nurse who has a research focus in children with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, she has an interest in developing health initiatives that improve health outcomes for children with this disorder.
For her doctoral dissertation, she evaluated whether physically active video gaming is an effective alternative method for increasing physical activity in obese adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Results from the 16-week, single-subject study, demonstrated that playing active video games on a Wii fitness console slowed or reduced weight gain. She has also written articles in peer-reviewed journals and given international podium presentations on various aspects of autism spectrum disorder, such as food selectivity and obesity.
In addition to her research, she also has an academic interest in preparing students for the nursing workforce. Strahan has developed a program to improve students’ proficiency in utilizing electronic medical records. In the fall, nursing students will use IPads to practice documenting patient care in hospital settings. This project will prepare students for professional practice by reinforcing the skills and knowledge they learn during their educational experience and developing critical thinking skills.
She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, master’s in nursing education from Florida State University, and doctorate in nursing science with a minor in autism spectrum disorders from the University of Florida.
