Teresa Leon
PhD, RN, ACNS, CNE
Dr. León is a College Professor in the School of Nursing at New Mexico State University, where she has served for more than 20 years in academic and administrative roles. She began her faculty career as a clinical instructor and advanced through the ranks, earning promotion to Professor in 2023. Dr. León earned her Master of Science in Nursing from NMSU in 2002 as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health with a focus on teaching nursing. In 2019, she completed her PhD in Nursing Science at NMSU, further strengthening her expertise in nursing education.
A respected educator and leader, Dr. León is a content expert in adult health and oncology nursing and has taught extensively in both clinical and didactic settings within the BSN program. She has served as Faculty of Record, Skills Lab Coordinator, Level Lead, Distance Education Coordinator, and currently as Associate Director for the Undergraduate Program. In this role, she leads curriculum innovation aligned with AACN guidelines, mentors new faculty, and provides strategic oversight for program evaluation and student success.
Dr. León maintains an active program of scholarship in nursing education, with multiple peer-reviewed publications and national presentations. She is deeply engaged in service at the university, state, and professional levels, including the New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium and the New Mexico Board of Nursing, Nursing Education Advisory Committee (NEAC), serving as chair from 2023 to 2025. Her leadership, outreach, and commitment to excellence continue to strengthen nursing education across the region.
Education
PhD, New Mexico State University
MSN, New Mexico State University
BSN, New Mexico State University
Awards & Honors
- University of Utah Early Career Teaching Award (2008)
- Excellence in Research and Scholarship, University of Utah College of Nursing (2011)
- Excellence in Research, Gamma Rho Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International (2012)
- Fellow, University of Utah Academy of Health Sciences Educators (2014-2017)
- Director’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the University of Utah PA Program (2017)
Clinical Focus
- Medical surgical nursing
- Oncology nursing
Research Interests
- Undergraduate nursing education
- Concept-based nursing curricula
Selected Publications
- León, T., Reinhardt, A., Keller, T., & Kuchler, E. (2022). A Qualitative Inquiry to Explore Clinical Nursing Faculty Transition to a Concept-based Curriculum (under review).
- Reinhardt, A. C., León, T. G., Summers, L. G. (2022). The Transformational Leader in Nursing Practice – an approach to retain nursing staff. Administrative Issues Journal 12(1), 1-12. doi: 10.5929/2022.12.1.1
- Liesveld, J., Petrovic, K., León, T. Grohman, S. (2021). Nursing Education from Classrooms to Computers – the New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium’s Collaborative Problem-solving During the Pandemic. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(5), 928-934. doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.07.012
- Reinhardt, A., Leon, T., & Amatya, A. (2020). Why Nurses Stay: Analysis of the registered nurse workforce and the relationship to belonging and work environments. Applied Nursing Research. doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2020.141316
- Reinhardt, A., León, T., DeBlieck, C., & Amatya, A. (2019). Using simulations to advance clinical reasoning. Applied Nursing Research, 47(6), 63-70. doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2019.05.005
- León, T, & Pase, M. (2004). Essential oncology facts for the float nurse. MED SURG Nursing – The Journal of Adult Health, 13(3), 165-171.
- Keele-Smith, R. & León, T. (2003). Evaluation of individually tailored interventions on exercise adherence. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 25(6), 623-640.
