Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
Growing professionally at the same institution where I was educated has been incredibly meaningful.
“I will do everything possible to keep you at Creighton.”
A sophomore at the College of Nursing, Lindsay Iverson took those words to heart, not realizing what they would come to mean.
After being medically disqualified from ROTC and losing her scholarship, she was devastated and unsure whether she could continue her education at Creighton.
“At that moment,” she says, “one faculty member changed the trajectory of my life.”
Mentorship that inspires growth
It was those words spoken by her academic advisor, Linda Lazure, PhD, that inspired Iverson to keep going.
“She not only believed in me but actively advocated for me and encouraged me ... which ultimately motivated me to remain at Creighton,” Iverson explains.
Twenty-three years later, Iverson, DNP’11, is a three-time Creighton graduate and an award-winning educator helping shape the future of nursing education through artificial intelligence, simulation and competency-based learning.
“Growing professionally at the same institution where I was educated has been incredibly meaningful,” she says. “It has been especially rewarding to evolve from student, to clinician, to faculty member and now to a leader who has the opportunity to mentor and support others.”
Inspired by lessons from the past
Today, Iverson carries forward the same spirit of mentorship that once changed her own life.
Iverson credits both Lazure and her mother, a former elementary educator, for shaping her approach to teaching and mentorship.
Lazure showed her the power of believing in students and helping them see possibilities they cannot yet see for themselves. Her mother modeled that same commitment to supporting others through education.
"She had a remarkable ability to make students feel supported, valued and capable, while positively impacting so many lives," Iverson says of her mother.
Together, those influences helped shape the educator Iverson would become.
Culture of scholarship and research at the College of Nursing
Passionate about the intersection of human connection and technology, Iverson is helping prepare future nurses for increasingly complex healthcare environments.
"We are at a pivotal moment in healthcare education—one where institutions can either follow change or help shape it—and Creighton has shown over and over that we are choosing to lead," she says.
Her work includes AI-powered simulations that allow students like Rachel Malander to practice therapeutic communication and difficult conversations in a safe learning environment, as well as interprofessional emergency simulations that strengthen teamwork, communication and decision-making skills.
"Through simulation, competency-based evaluation and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, we can create opportunities for students to practice skills that are often difficult to teach in traditional settings," she says.
Educating the next generation of nurse leaders
At the heart of the work is a culture of excellence in the College of Nursing that challenges students to develop the clinical judgment, confidence and competence needed to succeed.
Recently, Iverson received Creighton's Distinguished Educator Award, recognizing her commitment to student growth and success.
"To be recognized for work that I care so deeply about was truly special," she says.
The honor prompted her to reflect on the mentors who helped shape her own journey and the responsibility she now carries to do the same for others.
Her message to students is simple: growth often comes through challenge, mistakes are opportunities to learn, and kindness, perseverance and passion matter.
"If I can help even one person recognize their potential in the same way others once did for me, then I know I have made a difference."
