JoEllen Schimmels

Clinical Professor, Emory University
Profile Image of JoEllen Schimmels

JoEllen “Ellen” Schimmels is a Clinical Professor at Emory University and Clinician at Spring Health. Most recently, she was working in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at the New Mexico Veterans Health Administration. Previously she was the PMHNP Program Director at Emory University and DNP Program Director at University of New Mexico. With over 25 years of nursing experience, 23 years active duty in the Army with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, 18 years as a PMHNP; her scholarship includes PTSD and anxiety evidence-based therapies, psychedelic assisted therapies, tele-mental health care, trauma informed care, mental health policy, nursing curriculum development and competency-based education, military nursing, nurse suicide prevention, and organizational well-being.  She shares her life with her husband and cherishes her role as mother of two bright, enthusiastic children and stepmother to two amazing boys. She enjoys playing piano, hiking, scuba diving, her dogs, swimming, scrapbooking, and karaoke.

Education

  • Ph.D., Nursing Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  • DNP, Texas Christian University
  • MSN, Duquesne University
  • BSN, Viterbo University

Recent Publications

  1. Schimmels, J., Beeber, L. Delaney, K., Hauenstein, E., Iennaco, J., Sharp, D., & Shattell, M. (2025). Expanding the five urgent recommendations: Advancing workplace safety in healthcare settings. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/10783903251348948
  2. Schimmels, J., Iennaco, J., Delaney, K. R., Hauenstein, E., Sharp, D., Brewer-Smyth, K., Kverno, K., Patch, M., Cadena, S., Blaakman, S., Arends, R., & Beeber, L. (2025).  Protecting our nursing and healthcare workers with comprehensive strategies for preventing violence and promoting safety: An American Academy of Nursing Consensus Paper. Nursing Outlook, 73(3), 102425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102425
  3. Tierney, M., Schimmels, J., Delaney, K., Mumba, M., Glymph, D., Handrup, C., & Phoenix, B. (2025). Policy priorities to improve access to specialty advanced practice nursing care for mental health and substance use problems: An American Academy of Nursing Manuscript. Nursing Outlook, 73(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2024.10342
  4. Schimmels, J. & Schneider, J. (2024). Trauma Informed Care for Nursing Action BSN Course. Journal of Nursing Education, 63(4), 233-240.  doi:10.3928/01484834-20240207-06
  5. Schimmels, J., Schneider, J., Bucher, K., & Coty, M. B. (2024). Stoicism and cognitive strategies for nursing professional development. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 55(8), 378-386.  doi: 10.3928/00220124-20240328-02
  6. Hauenstein, E. J.  & Schimmels, J. (2024). Providing gender sensitive and responsive trauma-informed psychiatric nursing care. How hard can it be?, Issues in Mental Health Nursing,45(2), 202-216.doi: 10.1080/01612840.2024.2310663
  7. Beeber, L., Delaney, K. R., Hauenstein, E., Iennaco, J., Schimmels, J., Sharp, D., & Shattell, M. (2023, August 23). Five urgent steps to address violence against nurses in the workplace. Health Affairs Forefront.https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20230822.174151
  8. Finnell, D. S., Schimmels, J., & Tierney, M. (2023). Enhancing engagement between legislators and nursing to increase buprenorphine access. Nursing Outlook, 71(4), 102004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102004
  9. Schimmels, J., Groh, C., Neft, M., Wocial, L., Young, C., & Davidson, J. E. (2023). American Academy of Nursing expert panel consensus statement on leveraging equity in policy to improve recognition and treatment of mental health, substance use disorders, and nurse suicide. Nursing Outlook, 71(3), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101970.
  10. National Quality Forum. (2022, January). Issue Brief: National Quality Forum Action Team on Virtual Healthcare Quality. Workgroup members: Shook, S., Schwimmer, L., Buelsing Sowards, D., …Schimmels, J., Heyworth, L., & Kahn, D.  https://www.qualityforum.org/NQF_Action_Team_-_Virtual_Healthcare_Quality.aspx
  11. Schimmels, J., Bajjani-Gebara, J., Owen, R., Lewis, T., & Wallace, E. (2021). The service theories and healing leadership of Florence Nightingale and Hildegard Peplau: Their central importance for military psychiatric nurse practitioner education. Journal of Health and Human Behavior, 7(1), 40-54. https://jhhe.sempervifoundation.org/pdfs/JHHE%20V7n1%20Spring2021_LowResPagesFINAL.pdf
  12. Schimmels, J., & Cunningham, L. (2021).  How do we move forward with trauma-informed care?  Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(4),405-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.12.005
  13. Owen, R. D., & Schimmels, J. (2020). Leadership after a crisis: The application of Psychological First Aid. Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(10); 505-507. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000925. PMID: 32925662.
  14. Morganstein, J. C., West, J. C., Schimmels, J., & Benedek, D. M. (2020, April 27) Response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic: What will it take? Psychiatry, 1-6. doi: 10.1080/00332747.2020.1750928
  15. Schimmels, J., Bajjani-Gebara, J., Owen, R., Lewis, T., & Wallace, E. Nightingale and Peplau Serve Again: The Cross and Camo in PMHNP Education Improvement (3/6/2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3551341
  16. Chan, E. W., Krull, H., Ahluwalia, S., Broyles, J., Waxman, D.A., Gurvey, J., Colthirst, P., Schimmels, J. & Marinos, A.  (2020). Options for maintaining deployment clinical proficiency during peacetime.  RAND Arroyo Center: Santa Monica, CA. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2543.html

Awards

  • Award for Excellence in Leadership, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-American Psychiatric Nurses Association
  • Daisy Award-The Daisy Foundation
  • Dean’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly Practice-Uniformed Services University
  • Army Nurse Corps Association Military Nursing Practice Award
  • Order of Military Medical Merit
  • Legion of Merit
  • Bronze Star Medal

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