Feature Stories
Nancy Steele, '85 & '94
Dr. Nancy Steele '85 & '94 is making history as the Chief of
Nursing Research Services for the Europe Regional Medical Command. She
has been charged with the unique task of establishing the first
nursing research center outside of the United States. As Lieutenant
Colonel in the U.S. Army, she is stationed in Landstuhl, Germany and
is responsible for daily operations at the Center for Science &
Clinical Inquiry for all of Europe, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Steele earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology from
Grand Valley State University in 1985, and a Master of Science in
Nursing Education in 1994. She also spent several years as a visiting
professor and assistant professor within the Kirkhof College of
Nursing (KCON) at GVSU. It was during her work and research with KCON
that she felt called to serve her country.
After gaining 10 years of experience in the Army, Steele received
her Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 2002. Upon
graduation, she served in Honduras and El Salvador as a Nurse
Practitioner before she was stationed in Hawaii. During her last year
there she was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, after being selected to take
on the role of Human Protections Administrator for Iraq and Deputy
Director of the Deployed Combat Casualty Research Team.
In recognition of service to her country, Steele has received
more than 20 military awards including, U.S. Military Combat Action
Badge, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the United States
Meritorious Service Medal. She was also nominated for the Bronze Star
in 2008, credited with assisting in medical research efforts in Iraq
that helped to improve health care to over 162,000 military and
coalition personnel. She currently serves on the Army Nurse Corp
Research Advisory Board (NRAB), The Association of Military Surgeons
of the United States (AMSUS), and the Association of Women's Health
Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). Steele has also contributed
to several nationally recognized publications including the Journal of
Military Medicine.
Steele has been stationed in Germany since 2008. The majority of
her nursing research focuses on the care of wounded warriors who serve
on the front lines in Europe, and also the effects of fatigue,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other clinical issues on soldiers.
In November 2011, Steele was assigned to serve as the Regional
Chief of Military Nurse Research at Womack Military Medical Center in
Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Added April 2011
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