Angela Silvestri-Elmore, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC, CNE
Associate Professor-in-Residence, Associate Dean for Entry and Prelicensure Education
Biography
Angela Silvestri-Elmore serves as the associate dean for entry and prelicensure education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Nursing. A clinician, educator, researcher, and author, she joined the School of Nursing in 2016 and has since provided visionary leadership in curriculum design, program expansion, and student success initiatives. She oversees the BSN and DEMSN programs and the simulation center. An experienced family nurse practitioner, she maintains clinical practice at UNLV’s Student Health Center, where she also precepts nursing students. She serves on Ph.D. dissertation committees, and mentors students, faculty, and members of program leadership.
Expertise
Silvestri-Elmore’s expertise is in nursing education, with a focus on clinical judgment, student success, licensure preparation, simulation, and educational innovation. As a certified nurse educator, she advances strategies that support practice readiness,
Classes Taught
Silvestri-Elmore has taught in classroom, clinical, and simulation settings. She currently teaches Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing and teaches in the Family Nurse Practitioner program. She has previously taught Advanced Health Assessment, Nutrition and Human Development Across the Lifespan, Foundations of Care in Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, and Complex Care in Nursing within the prerequisite, undergraduate, and graduate nursing programs.
Education Background
Silvestri-Elmore earned a bachelor’s in nursing and in sociology from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, and her master’s—with a focus in nursing education—and Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also has a post-master's graduate certificate in advanced practice and is a board-certified family nurse practitioner.
Research or Scholarship
Her scholarly work focuses on nursing education, clinical judgment, student success, NCLEX preparation, simulation, and innovative approaches to preparing practice-ready nurses. She has authored widely used NCLEX review resources and published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to nursing education and student outcomes. Her current scholarship includes the development and evaluation of immersive and virtual reality simulation, strategies to strengthen clinical judgment, and approaches to improving educational and workforce outcomes. She has secured competitive funding, including support from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, to advance innovation, faculty development, inclusive learning, and the preparation of the future nursing workforce.
Awards, recognitions, or group affiliations
Silvestri-Elmore’s contributions to nursing education and academic leadership have been recognized through numerous honors and professional appointments. She has been recognized by the Nevada Nurses Foundation through the Shining Stars of Nursing in Nevada and received the UNLV School of Nursing Faculty & Staff Appreciation Award for Outstanding Scholarship. She was selected as an American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing (ELAN) fellow and as a Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Leadership Academy scholar, and she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi. She also serves as an AACN Essentials Champion and has contributed to statewide nursing education and regulatory efforts through service on the Nevada State Board of Nursing Education Advisory Committee. In her role as associate dean for entry and prelicensure education at the UNLV School of Nursing, she provides leadership in prelicensure education, clinical judgment, simulation, student success, and the preparation of practice-ready nurses.