Professional Overview
Dr. Pleshkan joined the faculty at the Loewenberg College of Nursing in 2019. She
had the unique opportunity to obtain her nursing degree in her home country of Moldova
before continuing her education in the United States. Practicing nursing in two countries
provided her with a broad perspective, allowing her to appreciate diverse cultures
and their impact on nursing education and practice.
She earned her first nursing degree from Moldova Nursing College, where she practiced
for four years at an infertility clinic, helping women overcome reproductive health
challenges. After relocating to the U.S., she obtained her ASN and later her BSN from
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
She then completed her Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree at the University of
Saint Francis (USF) in Indiana, gaining extensive clinical experience in pain management,
occupational health, primary care, women’s health, and walk-in clinic settings. She
later earned a Ph.D. in Nursing with a concentration in higher education, along with
a graduate certificate in Online Higher Education.
Dr. Pleshkan research focuses on advanced nursing workforce development and the challenges
of NP role transition. She developed and published an NP preceptorship model to support
students and new NPs during this critical transition. Her most recent study explored
NP students’ development of professional autonomy as they transition into their new
roles.
Her research demonstrated that integrating interprofessional education into nursing
curricula can enhance NP students’ professional autonomy and facilitate a smoother
role transition. She collaborated with the Nutritional Science Department at the University
of Memphis to establish interprofessional partnership opportunities for advanced nursing
and nutrition science students.
Dr. Pleshkan is also passionate about Lifestyle Medicine and its integration into
NP education. She advocates for equipping NP students with evidence-based lifestyle
interventions, which align with the nursing paradigm and support a smoother transition
into the complex healthcare environment after graduation. By incorporating Lifestyle
Medicine principles, NP students become more practice-ready, gaining the skills needed
to effectively manage chronic health conditions and provide comprehensive, patient-centered
care as they step into their new roles.
PhD-Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
MSN, FNP, University of Saint Frances, Fort Wayne, IN
BSN, IPFW, Fort Wayne, IN
ASN, IPFW, Fort Wayne, IN
- Families
- Holistic care
- Active Member of American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) 2006-present
- Member of Greater Memphis Area Advanced Practice Nurses 2016-2019
- Active member of National League for Nursing 2019- Present
- Active Member of The American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2019- Present
- Women’s Mentorship. University of Memphis. 2021- Present
Goal: Share knowledge and best practices about retaining women+
at all levels in academia. - Southern Nursing Research Society member 2024-Present
- AANP Network for research member 2019-Present
Hardgrave, B. (February 22, 2024). First time PI Award: Research Celebration: Highlighting
Research Achievements. Honoring First Time PIs and new PI Millionaires at the University
of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and Recognition Award 2006
Nominated for the Chancellor’s List for the highest academic achievements 2004-2006
Honor Society of Nursing Sigma Theta Zeta International 2000
Honors Convocation-Dean’s List 1996- 2003
- Pleshkan, V. (2025). Standardizing nurse practitioner clinical education: The Cognitive Preceptorship Model. Journal of Professional Nursing. 57, 26-42 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.12.009
- Pleshkan, V., & Lee, S. (2024). Facilitating Nursing Students' Transition to Scholar: Embedded Writing Tutor Project. The Journal of Nursing Education, 63(6), 409. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20240404-11. The importance of this article lies in its exploration of an innovative approach to enhancing scholarly writing skills among nursing students, a critical aspect of nursing education and scholarship.
- Pleshkan, V. (2024). A systematic review: Clinical education and preceptorship during nurse practitioner role transition. Accepted and published in electronic format in 2023. Journal of Professional Nursing, 50, 16-34. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.10.005
- Pleshkan, V., & Boykins, A. D. (2022). Cognitive preceptorship: An emerging nurse practitioner role transition to practice model. Part I (Model Development). Part II (Model Application). Journal of Professional Nursing, 39, 194-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2022.02.002
- Pleshkan, V., & Singarella, I. (2022). Advancing nursing students' transition to scholarship: embedding a librarian into the Advanced Nursing Research course. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 110(2), 228.Lee, S. & Pleshkan V. doi: 10.5195/jmla.2022.1227
- Lee, S., & Pleshkan, V. (2022). Collaborative Group Writing in Nursing Research Courses: Role Assignment and Peer Evaluation. Journal of Nursing Education, 61(4), 224-224. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20220209-10
- Abstract: Redmond, A., Bullough, G., Gray, A., Bruen, T., van der Merwe, M., Foley, S., Schallert,M., Cook, K Petersen M., Pleshkan V. & Gill, M. (2022). The Development of Nutritional Literacy Curriculum with Practical Application on Middle School Students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(10), A118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.08.078
- Pleshkan, V. & Hussey, L. (2020). Nurse practitioners’ experiences with role transition: Supporting the learning curve through preceptorship. Nurse Education in Practice, 42, 1-6. Doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2019.102655
- Pleshkan, V. (2018) Nurse practitioners' experiences with role transition: Supporting the learning curve through preceptorship. Dissertation Thesis. Walden University, Minneapolis, MN. Dissertation full text
Pleshkan, V., Umberger, R., S., & Jiang, Y. (Ongoing). Evaluating Professional Autonomy
Development in Preparing Nurse Practitioner Students: Longitudinal Retrospective Study
of Clinical Education Data. Ongoing. The University of Memphis
Pleshkan, V. (2023-2025//funcded). Phenomenological Study of Preceptors’ Experiences
with Preparing Nurse Practitioner Students for Autonomous Practice. Funded. Ongoing.