Wendy K. Cole, PhD, MSN, NI-BC is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, specializing in the Health Care and Nursing Informatics programs. In addition to her academic role, Dr. Cole serves as an Informatics Specialist within the Nursing Services at the Lt. Col. Luke Walton VA Hospital. She is a board-certified nurse informaticist (NI-BC) with over 30 years of nursing experience, spanning various roles and healthcare environments.
Dr. Cole transitioned from bedside nursing to a focus on nursing technology over a decade ago, gaining extensive experience with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor. There, she deepened her understanding of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and its application in healthcare. At the VA hospital, Dr. Cole is engaged in nearly all functional areas of nursing informatics, allowing her to bridge the gap between clinical practice and technology.
Her work encompasses the full spectrum of integrating technology into healthcare, from coding and system development to implementation and daily use by clinicians. Dr. Cole’s efforts have had a broad impact on improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes by advancing the use of technology in clinical settings.
Dr. Cole holds a Master of Science in Nursing Informatics from Walden University and a PhD in Technology and Information Management, with a focus on data science, from Northcentral University.
In her personal time, Dr. Cole enjoys creative projects such as sewing, working with power tools, and exploring nature. She is passionate about lifelong learning and enjoys traveling and taking on new challenges.
“Teaching provides me with an opportunity to give back to students striving hard to reach their goals. It is exciting to share my experiences and impart the knowledge that I have gained. Teaching has another side…me learning, which I do with my students in each class that I teach.”
-Dr. Cole