Associate Dean of Graduate Education
The Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing
Vinciya Pandian is internationally known for her clinical expertise in improving critically ill patients’ care, safety, and quality of life. Her scientific work, funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, focuses on identifying signs and symptoms of laryngeal injury post-extubation in the intensive care unit. She is also funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to establish and evaluate the effectiveness of an interprofessional patient safety learning center, the Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation. The center will be designed to provide the infrastructure to develop and evaluate 1) a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) educational module using multiplayer virtual simulation and virtual reality, 2) augmented reality-guided central line insertion and dressing change devices, and 3) a robot-controlled intravenous administration system to decrease the rate of CLABSI and CLABSI-related mortality. In addition to ICUs, her research expands to global settings (India and Nigeria). Dr. Pandian is passionate about educating care providers on the best multidisciplinary approaches to improving the outcomes of critically ill patients. She has served as a director of practice, education, and research for the Johns Hopkins Airway Program, including the Tracheostomy and Difficult Airway Response Programs, and as the associate director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Program, and director of the Research Honors Program. She is currently the president of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Nurses, the vice president of the Sigma Nu Beta at-large chapter, and the treasurer for the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative. At JHSON, she is the assistant dean for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation. In addition to serving as the executive director for the Center of Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation, her entrepreneurial work surrounds developing, implementing, and evaluating various products and programs to enhance teaching and learning and improve patient safety.