Laura Yoder

Laura has been a registered nurse for 25 years and a nursing professor since 2003.  She discovered a love for teaching while working as a staff nurse and precepting new nurses and student nurses from EMU.  Her clinical experience is in medical-surgical nursing, progressive care/ telemetry nursing, advanced nursing care (Primary Care Adult Nurse Practitioner), and nursing research. She is a BSN graduate of Goshen College, holds a MS degree in advanced practice nursing from the University of South Florida, and a PhD in nursing from the University of Virginia. Her research interests include health behavior and the multilevel contextual influences relating to the development of healthy lifestyles, quantitative methods, and quality improvement. When she's not doing the work she loves (i.e., teaching nursing!), she enjoys spending time with her family, dancing salsa, reading, singing, and talking with friends. Laura is an active member of Park View Mennonite Church.

My mission at EMU is to provide a caring learning environment for student nurses to acquire and apply nursing knowledge, skills, and clinical reasoning, and to partner with students as they develop and live out a personal philosophy of nursing grounded in Christian faith.

• May 1, 2022. Yoder, L. “Es el Señor! Ayúdanos a reconocerte y a crecer en esperanza!,” Sermon in Spanish at Casa Horeb Mennonite Church, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
• April 11, 2017. Galang, H., Lewis, E., Hulton, L., Winslow, S., Yost, G., & Yoder, L.“Pilot of a Randomized Trial Comparing Outcomes of Three Types of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters (PIVCs): Utilizing the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Cycle.
  Nurses’ Professional Development Day, sponsored by the Pi Mu Chapter At Large of STTI, at James Madison University.
• May 19, 2016. Galang, H., Yost, G., Yoder, L., Hahn, D. “Project Proposal: A Randomized Trial Comparing Outcomes of Three Types of Peripheral Intravenous Catheters.” Sentara Nursing Leadership Academy. Norfolk, VA.
• January 26, 2016. Yoder, L.A.G. “Last Lecture: A President, A Pastor, A Professor.” Presented as part of a series developed by EMU Student Life. EMU Northlawn Great Lounge, Harrisonburg, VA.
• February 12, 2016. Pitcock, N., Ossinova, N., Pineda, K., Yoder, L. “Tengo Leche! building Upon a Successful Initiative to Increase Breasfeeding rates Among Rural Hispanic Immigrant Mothers.” Interdisciplinary and quality Research Symposium. Winchester Medical Center – Valley Health.
• September 18, 2014. Yoder, L.A.G., Kulbok, P.A., & Schmidt, K. “Complex Relationships among Multi-Level Contextual Factors for Adolescent Health Promotion.” The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science 2014 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research. Washington, D.C.
• November 2, 2012. Yoder, L.A.G. “Substance Free Youth: Who Are They and What Can We Learn from Them?” Leadership and Education in Adolescent Health Fellows, Seminar, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
• June 6-8, 2014. Akerson, E. Glick, D., Kane, C., Bullock, L., & Yoder, L. “Interprofessional Family Reviews: Collaborative Support with Community Health Workers.” All Together Better Health Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Feb. 12-15, 2014. Yoder, L.A.G. “Patterns of Ecological Influencing Factors for Health Promotion in Substance Free Youth.” Southern Nursing Research Society Annual Research Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
• Feb. 27-March 2, 2013. Yoder, L.A.G. “An Evolutionary Concept Analysis of Emotional Intelligence.” Southern Nursing Research Society Annual Research Conference, Little Rock, Arkansas.
• April 3-4, 2012. Yoder, L.A.G. & Kulbok, P.A. “Substance-Free Youth: A Systematic Literature Review.” Virginia Youth Tobacco Project, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Abstract published in The Future of Tobacco Control: Implications for the Prevention of Youth Tobacco Use in Virginia.
• Feb. 20-23, 2012. Yoder, L.A.G. & Kulbok, P.A. “Substance-Free Youth: A Systematic Literature Review.” Southern Nursing Research Society Annual Research Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Dec. 21, 2010. Laboratory Results: Pieces of the Diagnostic Puzzle. Co-presented with colleague Catherine Rittenhouse at Rockingham Memorial Hospital.

• Member, Nursing Research and EBP Council, Sentara RMH Medical Center, 2016-present
• President, Pi Mu Chapter, STTI Nursing Honors Society, Aug. 2019-present
• Elder – Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA, Aug. 2014-present
• Board Member (President ’16-17), Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship, Aug. 2014-Sept. 2017
• VP from EMU, Board Member, Pi Mu At Large Chapter of STTI, Aug. 2015-2019
• Governance Committee Member, Pi Mu At Large Chapter of STTI, Aug. 2014-2015
• Chair of Induction Program Planning Committee, Pi Mu At large Chapter of STTI (2010-2011, 2016-2017)
• Yalla Sunday School Class facilitator, Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA (2010-current)

• Lilly Faculty Fellow, 2019-2021
• 2016 Lois Kercher Nursing Research Fund. Sentara Healthcare, May 2016
• Phyllis Verhonick Dissertation Award, UVA School of Nursing, May 2014
• Ravens Society, Inducted, UVA, Fall 2013
• STAR Mentor Honorarium – School of Nursing, UVA, 2013
• Excellence in Nursing Instruction Award* from VNSA (Virginia Nursing Students Association), received Feb. 5th, 2011

• Registered Nurse, Virginia
• AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers certification

• Southern Nursing Research Society
• Pi Mu Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
• American Nurses Association
• Virginia Nurses Association

• June 23-25, 2017 – Creating Healing Environments. Annual Gathering of Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship. Laurelville Mennonite Retreat Center, PA.
• May 18-20, 2017 – New Deans and Directors Workshop. Council of Independent Colleges. Baltimore, MD.
• April 4, 2017 – Improving Health Worldwide: Global Nursing Initiatives. Annual Professional Development Day, Pi Mu at Large Chapter STTI. JMU, Harrisonburg, VA.
• November 17-19, 2016. Baccalaureate Education Conference. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Anaheim, CA.
• October 12, 2016. Nursing Program Updates. Department of Health Professions, Virginia Board of Nursing. Richmond, VA.
• April 12, 2016 – Interprofessional Collaboration. Annual Professional Development Day of the Pi Mu at large chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
• Feb. 24, 2016 – Preconference Workshop: Foundations for Translational, implementation, and Improvement Science Researchers. 30th Annual Conference of the Southern Nursing Research Society. Williamsburg, VA.
• Feb. 24-27, 2016 – “A Solid Legacy, a Bright Tomorrow: Bridging the Past and Future of Nursing Research.” 30th Annual Conference of the Southern Nursing Research Society. Williamsburg, VA.
• Jan. 21-23, 2016 – Doctoral Nursing Education Conference. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. naples Grand Hotel, Naples, Florida.

• Academic Council, 2022-present
• Faculty Scholarship Committee, 2020-present
• Undergraduate Council Co-chair, 2018-2019
• Faculty Senator – 2015-2019
• Member, Institutional Effectiveness Committee – 2016-2019
• Member, Faculty Enrollment Committee – 2016-2019
• Chair, EMU Nursing Student Affairs Committee – 2016-2019
• New Faculty mentor – 2015-2016, 2021-2022
• Co-chair Academic Freedom Task Force – 2015-2016
• Member Fall Faculty/Staff Conference Planning Committee – 2014-2017