Biography
Dr. Stephanie Au is a nursing educator and the Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) at the College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine. She specializes in curriculum development, integrating interprofessional education (IPE) strategies, and advancing competency-based clinical evaluations. Dr. Au is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with clinical expertise spanning family practice, pediatrics, surgery, and critical care.
In her role as Director of IPEP, Dr. Au has spearheaded initiatives to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty in nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and public health. She has contributed significantly to IPE curriculum design, faculty development, and the creation of interprofessional case studies and simulations aligned with IPEC Core Competencies. Dr. Au’s leadership and research in IPE have been recognized nationally, including presentations at the Nexus Summit and contributions to UC Irvine’s receipt of the Nexus Award for interprofessional education excellence.
Research Interests
Dr. Stephanie Au’s expertise spans innovative approaches to healthcare education and improving patient outcomes, with a focus on integrating neurocognitive and emotional frameworks into adult learning, advancing interprofessional education and practice (IPEP), and addressing disparities in care for high-risk populations. Her research explores strategies to enhance cognitive engagement, emotional resilience, and reflective practice among healthcare learners, fostering critical thinking and clinical judgment. As a leader in IPEP, Dr. Au has developed and evaluated curricula aligned with IPEC Core Competencies, including interprofessional simulations, case studies, and tools like the Interprofessional Clinical Competency Evaluation Tool (ICET) to measure collaborative competencies. Her work also addresses health inequities, focusing on improving care delivery for underserved populations with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease. By integrating evidence-based educational interventions and emphasizing team-based care, Dr. Au contributes to preparing healthcare professionals to deliver equitable, patient-centered care and tackle complex challenges in diverse clinical settings.
Education
Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP), University of Pennsylvania, 2022 (Summa Cum Laude)
Master of Science in Nursing, California State University, Long Beach, 2014 (Summa Cum Laude)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, California State University, Long Beach, 2010 (Summa Cum Laude)
Associate of Science, Solano Community College, 2007 (Summa Cum Laude)
Associate of Arts, Solano Community College, 2007 (Summa Cum Laude)
Honors and Awards
- 10/2024 George E. Thibault Nexus Award
- 09/2024 UCI School of Nursing, Macy Scholar Nominee
- 09/2023 UCI School of Nursing, Macy Scholar Nominee and Semi Finalist
- 07/ 2023 Excellence in Pedagogy Development Award; Honorable Mention
- 06/2023 Train New Trainers: Health and Wellness Coaching Scholarship
- 05/2022 Best Presentation Award
- 05/2021 Nursing Excellence and Leadership Award from the University of Pennsylvania
- 05/2021 Nursing Excellence and Leadership Award for graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania
- 05/2020 Innovative Student Scholarship Award from University of Pennsylvania
Publications
Dr. Stephanie Au’s expertise spans innovative approaches to healthcare education and improving patient outcomes, with a focus on integrating neurocognitive and emotional frameworks into adult learning, advancing interprofessional education and practice (IPEP), and addressing disparities in care for high-risk populations. Her research explores strategies to enhance cognitive engagement, emotional resilience, and reflective practice among healthcare learners, fostering critical thinking and clinical judgment. As a leader in IPEP, Dr. Au has developed and evaluated curricula aligned with IPEC Core Competencies, including interprofessional simulations, case studies, and tools like the Interprofessional Clinical Competency Evaluation Tool (ICET) to measure collaborative competencies. Her work also addresses health inequities, focusing on improving care delivery for underserved populations with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease. By integrating evidence-based educational interventions and emphasizing team-based care, Dr. Au contributes to preparing healthcare professionals to deliver equitable, patient-centered care and tackle complex challenges in diverse clinical settings.
- Publications- Au S. (2022 Dec). The outcomes of interprofessional education in prelicensure nursing education: An integrative review. Nurse education today, 121, 105703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105703- Neikrug, A. B., Cho, S. S., Nguyen, E. S., Stehli, A., Huo, S., Garcia, C., Au, S., Masoumirad, M., Cant, W., Le-Bucklin, K. V., Gagliardi, J. P., Xiong, G. L., & McCarron, R. M. (2024). Improving Behavioral Healthcare Access Disparities by Training Providers in Disadvantaged Communities – Evidence of Strategy Effectiveness. Journal of general internal medicine, 10.1007/s11606-024-09020-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-024-09020-1
- Peer Reviewed Speaker Presentations- Au, S. (2024, Sept). Accepted Nexus Lightning Talk (09/2024); Building Community-Centered Health Initiatives: A Roadmap for Faculty to Develop Interprofessional Education Projects. Lighting talk accepted at the Nexus Summit 2024: Navigating Complexity to Advance Outcomes on the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s innovative More Than a Meeting platform.- Au., S (2024, Sept). Accepted Nexus Lightning Talk (09/2024): Title: Fostering Empathy, Collaboration and Cultural Awareness to Improve Healthcare Outcomes: An Interdisciplinary Curriculum Approach the Nexus Summit 2024: Navigating Complexity to Advance Outcomes on the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s innovative More Than a Meeting platform.- Au, S. (2023, March). Breaking Barriers and Building Trust Through Innovative Interprofessional Education. Speaker presentation at the National League of Nurses 2023 Nursing in Education Research Conference (NERC). Washington D.C., US: live concurrent session.
– Au, S. (2023, April). An Interprofessional Educational Conceptual Model Using Emotional and Education Neuroscience Advancements. Speaker presentation at the Nursing Science and Practice Conference: San Francisco, CA
– Carolino, K., Au, S. (2023 April). Interprofessional Education: Promoting Inclusivity and Collaboration in Healthcare. Video Presentation at the UCLA Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase: Los Angeles, CA (recorded video session)
– Au, S. (2023, March). How using a Multimethod Approach for Interprofessional Education Positively Impacts Prelicensure Nursing Students. Nursing Practice 2023 International Nursing Conference. London, United Kingdom and virtual.
- Peer Reviewed Poster Presentations- Au, S. The Impact of Interprofessional Education on Nursing Students’ Collaboration Skills. Presented at the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders Conference, 2022.- Au, S. Early Interprofessional Education’s Impact on Healthcare Student Professional Socialization. Presented at the Nuts and Bolts Conference, Organization of Nurse Leaders, 2022.
- Invited National Presentations- Implementing Interprofessional Education into Nursing Curriculum. University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, June 2022.- Successful Strategies for Doctoral Nursing Students: Creating Repeat Success. University of Pennsylvania, May 2022.
- University Presentations- Faculty Training: Clinical Judgment Model Integration and NGN Curriculum. University of California, Irvine (Five-Part Series), March 2022.- Success in Nursing School Workshop Series for Incoming Nursing Students. University of California, Irvine (Ten-Part Series), August 2019.
