Clinical Associate Professor
Director of Clinical Learning Center - Undergraduate Programs
Department
Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership
University Affiliations
Pediatric Specialty Lead Faculty, Undergraduate Program
Contact
University of Michigan School of Nursing
426 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482
Interests
Simulation based education
Innovative teaching methods
Deliberate practice
Nursing expertise
Pediatric acute care
Melissa A. Bathish, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, CHSE, is a Clinical Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Clinical Learning Center at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. A Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, she co-leads the center’s Society for Simulation in Healthcare-accredited simulation program. She is also a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and serves as the Pediatric Clinical Faculty Lead for the undergraduate nursing program.
Dr. Bathish is nationally recognized for her work in simulation-based education and educational innovation. Her scholarship focuses on experiential learning and using simulation and emerging technologies to strengthen clinical judgment, competence, and readiness for practice. She also advances environmental sustainability in simulation education, with particular attention to reducing and reusing plastics, through local, national, and international collaborations.
Current Research Grants and Programs
Transforming Nursing Education Using Microsoft Hololens2 AR and UpTale 360 degree VR Platforms for Skills Training and Clinical Decision Making (Co-PI).
Simulated Cardiac Arrest (Code Blue) Training for University of Michigan School of Nursing Undergraduate and Graduate Students Using a High-Fidelity Patient Simulator and Crash Cart (Co-PI).
Sustainability Efforts in Healthcare Simulation and Clinical Learning
Teaching
Dr. Bathish has been teaching at the University of Michigan School of Nursing since 2006, providing classroom and clinical instruction. Her clinical teaching spans pediatric acute and intensive care and neonatal intensive care.
Her experiential, skills-based approach incorporates simulation and emerging technologies to connect classroom learning with clinical practice. She creates realistic, inclusive learning experiences that strengthen clinical judgment, communication, technical skills, and confidence. She is committed to preparing compassionate and clinically competent nurses while adapting her teaching to students’ evolving needs and the changing demands of health care.
Affiliations/Service
Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Rho Chapter, 1991 - present (Board Member, Faculty Counselor, 2021)
Member, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, 2018 - present (Chair of the Sustainability Special Interest Group, 2024)
Member, Society for Simulation in Healthcare, 2019 - present
Member, American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Member, American Nurses Association
Member, UMSN Faculty Practice Advisory Council, 2024 - present (Vice-Chair, 2024; Chair, 2025)
Member, UMSN Internal Search Committee for Associate Dean for Clinical Practice, 2024
Notable Awards/Honors
Certified Simulation Health Care Educator, 2026
Faculty Mentor of the Year Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Rho Chapter, 2026
Distinguished Nurse Innovator of the Year Award, Healthcare Innovation Impact Program, 2025
Inaugural Faculty Innovation Champion, University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships, 2025
University of Michigan Provost Honor for “Faculty Focused on Climate and Sustainability,” 2025
Best Practice Innovator Award, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, 2022
Education
Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2014
MS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1995
BSN, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1991
Publications Highlights
Bathish, M., Lee, D., & Seng, J. (2021). Transition to a faculty-led partnership model of simulation education in a baccalaureate nursing program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(3), 534-540. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.02.011
Price, D., Bathish, M., & Ursuy, P. (2021). Using simulation to teach transitions of care for hospitalized patients. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 40(4), 217- 225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000478
Bathish, M., Lee, D., Marsack, J., & Czerwinski, M. (2022). A national survey of sustainability efforts in healthcare simulation. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 69, 1- 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2022.04.007
Marsack, J., Bathish, M., & Lee, D. (2023). Sustainability efforts in healthcare simulation and clinical learning: An international survey. Nurse Education Today, 132, 105990. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105990
Tschannen, D., Keiser, M., Bathish, M., Tillman-Meakins, P., & Turkelson, C. (2023). Development of the “Through the Eyes of...” Program for improving cultural awareness. Journal of Nursing Education, 64(2), 136-140. https://dx.doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20240422-04
Lee, D., Bathish, M. A., & Nelson, J. (2024). Transforming nursing education: Developing augmented reality procedural training. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 27(6). https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.0403
Bathish, M., Seng, J., Duncan, J., Wintermeyer-Pingel, S., Russell, B., DiClemente, L., Price, D., Wyse, D., Conrad, C., Duffy, E., & Tschannen, D. (2024). Evolution of post-pandemic nurse orientation through an academic-practice partnership. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 40(6), 300-305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000001083
Marsack, J., Lee, D., DiClemente, L., Bodi, M., Clarke, K., Robison, L., Turnau, S., Van Horn, L., & Bathish, M. (2025). Best practices for environmental sustainability in healthcare simulation education: A scoping review. Sustainability, 17(4), 6624. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146624
Bathish, M., Marsh, V., Thompson, J., Hopkins, T., Weathers, E. (2025). Simulation-based learning: The impact of technology-enhanced education on peripheral vascular access skills. Medical Research Archives, 13(8). doi: doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i8.6987
Marsack, J., Wintermeyer-Pingel, S., Bathish, M. (2025). Fostering equity in nursing education and practice: Inclusive simulation for weight bias reduction. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 108, 101840.
Tschannen, D., Briggs, A. J., Wintermeyer-Pingel, S., DiClemente, L. M., Harden, K., Russell, B., Pitts, A., Duncan, J., & Bathish, M. (2026). Code Prep Choreography: Navigating the urgent interval. The American Journal of Nursing, 126(7), 43-49.
Lee, D., Bathish, M. A., Marsack, J., Eagle, M., Brunvand, L., & Lori, J. R. (2026). Simulation training needs and challenges for nurse educators in the Caribbean: Strengthening clinical teaching in low-resource settings. Nursing Education Perspectives, 47(4), 236–238. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001500
Bathish, M., Marsack, J., Eagle, M., Lori, J., & Lee, D. (2026). Bridging global gaps in nursing education: Findings from a remote simulation training program for international faculty. Nursing Education Perspectives, 47(2), 107-109. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001416.