Benjamin Smallheer | Scholars@Duke

Benjamin Smallheer
Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing

Benjamin Smallheer, PhD, RN, ACNP‐BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CNE, joined DUSON’s faculty in 2016. He is the Lead Faculty for the Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care major within the MSN program and a member of the Healthcare in Adult Populations Division.

Smallheer earned his BSN at Florida State University in 1998, and his MSN in 2004 and PhD in 2011, both from Vanderbilt University. He has also completed a post-master’s certificate in Family Practice from Tennessee State University in 2016.

Smallheer came to Duke from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where he had been a faculty member since 2006 and an Assistant Professor since 2011. At Vanderbilt, he worked with both pre-licensure and Adult‐Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner students. He was also engaged in faculty mentoring in both the clinical and academic environments, receiving recognition for his work incorporating innovative teaching methods and the use of technology in the learning environment.

As Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Smallheer has practiced in a variety of clinical settings, including the Emergency Department, high acuity Medical-Surgical Intensive Care, Long Term Acute Care, and has been the lead responder on a Nurse Practitioner based Rapid Response and Code Team. He currently practices as an Acute Care Clinician in the Critical Care Unit at both Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital, within the Critical Care Medicine teams.

Current Research Interests

Innovative pedagogy to improve the learning environment
Advancing care of the geriatric patient
Learning experiences of Men in Nursing

Office Hours

By appointment
Virtual meetings accepted

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing, School of Nursing, Duke University 2020

Contact Information

307 Trent Drive, Box 3322, Durham, NC 27710
307 Trent Drive, Box 3322, Durham, NC 27710
benjamin.smallheer@duke.edu (919) 613-9787

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- FNP, American Nurses Credentialing Center 2021 - 2026
- ACNP-BC, American Nurses Credentialing Center 2019 - 2024
- Ph.D., Vanderbilt University 2011
- M.S.N., Vanderbilt University 2004
Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing, School of Nursing, Duke University 2016 - 2020
Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner- Critical Care Medicine Team; Duke Raleigh Hospital
  Faculty sponsor for Duke's American Association of Men in Nursing Chapter
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Nurse of the Year: Nursing Education. Mach of Dimes. 2014
Expertise
Global Scholarship
- Research
  - Africa (Continent)
- Teaching
Research
Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants
- Teaching for Equity Fellowship awarded by Duke University School of Nursing 2019 - 2020
- A Faculty Development Workshop on Gender Associated Incivility and Nursing Education awarded by Duke University Office for Faculty Advancement 2018 - 2019
- Amy V. Cockcroft Nursing Leadership Fellowship awarded by University of South Carolina 2017 - 2018
External Relationships
- Barkley and Associates
- King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Nursing- Jeddah
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Smallheer, B., T. Chidume, M. K. H. Spinks, D. Dawkins, and M. Pestano-Harte. “A Scoping Review of the Priority of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Health Care Simulation.” Clinical Simulation in Nursing 71 (October 1, 2022): 41–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2022.05.009.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin. “Addressing and Dismantling Inequities of Vulnerable Populations.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 57, no. 3 (September 2022): xiii–xiv. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2022.07.001.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin. “The Art of Nursing Leadership in a Challenging Patient Care Environment.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 57, no. 2 (June 2022): xiii–xiv. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2022.03.002.
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  - Tennyson, C. D., and B. A. Smallheer. “Competency-Based Education for Nurse Practitioner Certification Alignment.” Journal for Nurse Practitioners 18, no. 4 (April 1, 2022): 462–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2022.01.014.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin. “Impact of Career Burnout Across Nursing.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 57, no. 1 (March 2022): ix–x. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2021.12.001.
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  - Loberg, Rachel A., Benjamin A. Smallheer, and Julie A. Thompson. “A Quality Improvement Initiative to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the ABCDEF Bundle on Sepsis Outcomes.” Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 45, no. 1 (January 2022): 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1097/cnq.0000000000000387.
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  - Tennyson, Carolina D., Benjamin A. Smallheer, and Jennie C. De Gagne. “Microlearning Strategies in Nurse Practitioner Education.” Nurse Educator 47, no. 1 (January 2022): 2–3. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000001083.
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  - Seifert, Micah, Denise H. Tola, Julie Thompson, Lynn McGugan, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Effect of bundle set interventions on physiologic alarms and alarm fatigue in an intensive care unit: A quality improvement project.” Intensive & Critical Care Nursing 67 (December 2021): 103098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2021.103098.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin, Stephanie A. Gedzyk-Nieman, Margory A. Molloy, Cynthia M. Clark, Helen Gordon, and Brett Morgan. “Faculty development workshop on gender-associated incivility in nursing education.” Nursing Forum 56, no. 4 (October 2021): 1044–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12615.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin. “Early Recognition of Preventable Factors Associated with Delirium Saves Lives and Costs.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 56, no. 3 (September 2021): 345–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2021.04.002.
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  - Tennyson, Carolina, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Using Social Media for Microlearning in Nurse Practitioner Education.” Nurse Educator 46, no. 5 (September 2021): 316. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000000998.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Kuszajewski, Michele L., Jacqueline Vaughn, Margaret T. Bowers, Benjamin Smallheer, Rémi M. Hueckel, and Margory A. Molloy. “Embracing Disruption: Measuring Effectiveness of Virtual Simulations in Advanced Practice Nurse Curriculum.” Clinical Simulation in Nursing 57 (August 2021): 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2021.04.017.
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  - Li, Aijun Anna, Jennie C. De Gagne, Valerie Howard, Deirdre Thornlow, Benjamin S. Smallheer, Angela Richard-Eaglin, and Kathryn Evans Kreider. “Student Success Factors in a Nurse Practitioner Program.” The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, June 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.05.025.
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  - Charais, Chantel, Margaret Bowers, Olamide Oladipo Do, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Implementation of a Disease Management Program in Adult Patients With Heart Failure.” Professional Case Management 25, no. 6 (November 2020): 312–23. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncm.0000000000000413.
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  - Vergara, Jade, Abby Parish, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Telehealth: Opportunities in geriatric patient care during COVID-19.” Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.) 41, no. 5 (September 2020): 657–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.08.013.
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  - Bergenstal, Twyla Dawn, Jeffrey Reitsema, Peggy Heppner, Joyce Geerts, Amy Cho, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Personalized Care Plans: Are They Effective in Decreasing ED Visits and Health Care Expenditure Among Adult Super-Utilizers?” Journal of Emergency Nursing 46, no. 1 (January 2020): 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2019.09.001.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin, Brett Morgan, and Robert Stern. “A historical look at men's involvement in nursing and leadership in GAPNA.” Geriatric Nursing (New York, N.Y.) 41, no. 1 (January 2020): 52–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.01.003.
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  - Oldenburg, Elizabeth, Virginia C. Muckler, Julie Thompson, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Pulmonary Artery Catheters: Impact of e-Learning on Hemodynamic Assessments.” Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 42, no. 3 (July 2019): 304–14. https://doi.org/10.1097/cnq.0000000000000260.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A., and Mary S. Dietrich. “Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and Helplessness Following Myocardial Infarctions.” Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 42, no. 3 (July 2019): 246–55. https://doi.org/10.1097/cnq.0000000000000265.
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  - Williams, Julie, Taruna Aurora, Kathy Baker, Julie Thompson, and Benjamin Smallheer. “Triage to Observation: A Quality Improvement Initiative for Chest Pain Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department.” Crit Pathw Cardiol 18, no. 2 (June 2019): 75–79. https://doi.org/10.1097/HPC.0000000000000175.
    Full Text Link to Item
  - Yan, Wendy, Brett T. Morgan, Peter Berry, Mary K. Matthys, Julie A. Thompson, and Benjamin A. Smallheer. “A Quality Improvement Project to Increase Adherence to a Pain, Agitation, and Delirium Protocol in the Intensive Care Unit.” Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing : Dccn 38, no. 3 (May 2019): 174–81. https://doi.org/10.1097/dcc.0000000000000353.
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  - Richard-Eaglin, Angela, and Benjamin A. Smallheer. “Immunosuppressive/Autoimmune Disorders.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 53, no. 3 (September 2018): 319–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2018.04.002.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A. “Those Conditions You May Not Be Expecting.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 53, no. 3 (September 2018): xi–xii. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2018.06.001.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A. “Evaluation and Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome in the Primary Care Environment.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 53, no. 3 (September 2018): 433–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2018.04.010.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A., Michael Vollman, and Mary S. Dietrich. “Learned Helplessness and Depressive Symptoms Following Myocardial Infarction.” Clinical Nursing Research 27, no. 5 (June 2018): 597–616. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773816689752.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin, Jennifer Hunt, and Judson Smith. “Using Critical Care Simulations to Prepare Nursing Students for Capstone Clinical Experiences.” Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing : Dccn 37, no. 2 (March 2018): 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1097/dcc.0000000000000283.
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  - Carman, Margaret, Shu Xu, Sharron Rushton, Benjamin A. Smallheer, Denise Williams, Sathya Amarasekara, and Marilyn H. Oermann. “Use of a Virtual Learning Platform for Distance-Based Simulation in an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Curriculum.” Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing : Dccn 36, no. 5 (September 2017): 284–89. https://doi.org/10.1097/dcc.0000000000000259.
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  - Smallheer, B. A., E. Stone, J. Hicks, and C. Galbreath. “Use of Video Recording to Facilitate Peer-to-Peer Learning in a Prelicensure Nursing Program.” Teaching and Learning in Nursing 12, no. 2 (April 1, 2017): 158–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2017.02.003.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A. “Reverse Case Study: A New Perspective on an Existing Teaching Strategy.” Nurse Educator 41, no. 1 (January 2016): 7–8. https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000000186.
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  - Ardisson, Michelle, Benjamin Smallheer, Ginny Moore, and Tom Christenbery. “Meta-Evaluation: Experiences in an Accelerated Graduate Nurse Education Program.” Journal of Professional Nursing : Official Journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 31, no. 6 (November 2015): 508–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.04.009.
    Full Text
  - Smallheer, Benjamin A. “Technology and monitoring patients at the bedside.” The Nursing Clinics of North America 50, no. 2 (June 2015): 257–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2015.02.004.
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  - Smallheer, Benjamin A. “Bee and wasp stings: reactions and anaphylaxis.” Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America 25, no. 2 (June 2013): 151–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2013.02.002.
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- Book Sections
  - Hopkins, Leslie, and B. Smallheer. “Alterations of Musculoskeletal Function.” In Pathophysiology - E-Book The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2018.
  - Sabol, Valerie, B. Smallheer, and Marilyn Oermann. “Basic skills for teaching and the advanced practice registered nurse.” In Advanced Practice Nursing Essentials of Role Development, edited by L. A. Joel, 2017.
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Service to Duke
- Faculty Advisor. Duke Chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing. American Association for Men in Nursing. 2016 2016
Clinical Activities
- St. Thomas West Hospital Nashville, Tennessee
  
  Critical Care Nurse Practitioner 2004-2008
  
  University Medical Center Lebanon, Tennessee
  
  Emergency Room Nurse Practitioner    2008-2009
  
  St. Thomas West Hospital Nashville, Tennessee
  
  Pulmonary Intensivist Nurse Practitioner    2009-2016
  
  Duke Raleigh Hospital Raleigh, North Carolina
  
  Critical Care Nurse Practitioner    2017-present

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Previous Appointments & Affiliations

Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke

Awards & Honors

Global Scholarship

Research

Teaching

Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Recent Courses

Service to Duke

Clinical Activities