Sarah Jo Ball, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CHSE
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Contact
Faculty - Nursing
College of Nursing
Sarah Jo Ball, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CHSE
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Dr. Ball earned her PhD in Nursing and a Master's degree in Nursing Education, along with a Post-Masters Certificate in Online Teaching in Higher Education all from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She completed her bachelor’s in nursing science at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. Her doctoral dissertation explored the effects of augmented reality on anxiety levels in prelicensure nursing students, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on how technology can enhance nursing education.
Currently, Dr. Ball is leading several cutting-edge research initiatives. She is working with a team to revise the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (CCEI) to its updated version, CCEI 2.0, which includes studies on validity and ongoing reliability across various settings. She is also spearheading a funded research project examining the interrater reliability of CCEI 2.0 when used in conjunction with Immersive Virtual Reality in real-time scenarios. Additionally, Dr. Ball is the principal investigator of a second funded project focused on improving pre-licensure nurses' practice readiness by incorporating Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) into the final semester practicum course.
Dr. Ball’s expertise and innovative approach to nursing education continue to shape the future of healthcare training, blending the latest advancements in technology with practical applications to better prepare nursing students for success in the clinical environment.
Teaching Interests
- Women's Health (Maternal -Child Nurse)
Research Focus
Clinical Simulation Labs Student Peer & Self Evaluation Interactive Classroom Teaching E-learning; Augmented Reality; Immersive Virtual Reality; Assessment;Self-CareDepartment
Nursing - Bachelors
Position
Associate Professor
Publications
- Research and theory for nursing practice
Williams Jacqueline R, Flott Elizabeth A, Goodman Joely T, Young Christine M, Woodward Trevor D, Morgan Kara, Ball Sarah J, Exploring Work-Life Balance Among Nursing Faculty 2026 - Clinical simulation in nursing
Ball Sarah J., Todd Martha J., Iverson Lindsay, Taylor Jack H., Manning Lucas, Manz Julie A., Testing the reliability of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0 for evaluating student learning with immersive virtual reality
113 2026 - The Journal of nursing education
Williams Jacqueline, Goodman Joely, Ball Sarah, Young Christine, Woodward Trevor, Nursing From Within: A Self-Care Course for Undergraduate Nursing Students
64:8, p. 530 - 533 2025 - Clinical simulation in nursing
Manz Julie A., Todd Martha J., Iverson Lindsay, Ball Sarah J., Manning Lucas, Topp Robert, Validity and reliability testing of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0© (CCEI 2.0)
103, p. 101736 2025 - Clinical simulation in nursing
Todd Martha J., Manz Julie A., Iverson Lindsay, Ball Sarah J., Manning Lucas, Conceptual Framework and Content Validity for the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0© (C-CEI 2.0©)
85, p. 101467 2023 - Nursing Forum
Flott Elizabeth, Kirkpatrick Amanda, Rusch Lori, Koziol Dana, Laughlin Ann, Williams Jacqueline, Ball Sarah, Hanks Jacquie, Minnich Margo, Fostering collaborative learning and leadership through near-peer mentorship among undergraduate nursing students
57:5, p. 750 - 755 2022 - International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship
Flott Elizabeth, Ball Sarah, Manz Julie, Beiermann Trisha, Khanna Maya M., Supporting the transition to practice
19:1 2022 - Nursing Education Perspectives
Ball Sarah, Hanks Jacquie, Potthoff Meghan, Connelly Susan, A Pediatric Telehealth Simulation for Prelicensure and Advanced Practice Nursing Students
42:6, p. E181 - E182 2021 - The Journal of nursing education
Young Christine, Ball Sarah, Flott Elizabeth, Goodman Joely, Hercinger Maribeth, Threading QSEN Competencies Across a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: The Development of Dedicated QSEN Labs
60:9, p. 526 - 528 2021 - Nurse educator
Young Christine, Goodman Joely, Flott Elizabeth, Hercinger Maribeth, Ball Sarah J., Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Laboratory
46:4, p. 197 - 197 2021 - Ball Sarah, Leach Brandi, Bousfield Jennifer, Smith Pamina, Marjanovic Sonja, Arts-based approaches to public engagement with research: Lessons from a rapid review 2021
- Nurse Educator
Flott Elizabeth, Goodman Joely, Young Christine, Ball Sarah J., Hercinger Maribeth, Enhancing confidence and communication for clinical practice
45:6, p. 351 - 351 2020 - Nurse Educator
Ball Sarah J., Goodman Joely, Flott Elizabeth, Young Christine, Hercinger Maribeth, Photosphere Safety Rooms
45:5, p. 235 2020 - The Journal of nursing education
Ball Sarah, Hussey Leslie C., The Effects of Augmented Reality on Prelicensure Nursing Students' Anxiety Levels
59:3, p. 142 - 148 2020 - Clinical Simulation in Nursing
Kirkpatrick Amanda, Ball Sarah, Connelly Susan, Hercinger Maribeth, Hanks Jacquie, Potthoff Meghan, Banzhaf Sara, McCafferty Kandis, Intraprofessional Simulation's Impact on Advanced Practice and Baccalaureate Student Self-Efficacy
16, p. 33 - 39 2018 - Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing
McCafferty Kandis Leigh, Ball Sarah Jo, Cuddigan Janet, Understanding the Continuing Education Needs of Rural Midwestern Nurses
48:6, p. 265 - 269 2017 - Online journal of nursing informatics
Iverson Lindsay, Harms Ann, Murcek Christina, Woods Sandra, Young Tina, Ball Sarah, Technology in the College of Nursing: Perception and Use to Achieve Learning Outcomes
20:1, p. 1 2016
Presentations
- NurseFacultyWorkLife Balance: Setting Boundaries to Combat Burnout 2025
- CCEI 2.0: Upgraded for the Future of Nursing Education 2025
- Enhancing Competency-Based Nursing Education: Leveraging the C-CEI 2.0 for Effective Student Evaluation. [Pre-conference workshop]. 2025
- Team up to Stay Up: Implementing a Comprehensive Interprofessional Fall Risk Assessment with Older Adults Residing in Assisted Living 2025
- Updated and Upgraded! The Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0 (CCEI 2.0) 2024
- Updated and upgraded! The Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0 (C-CEI 2.0) 2024
- Assessing and evaluating competency in nursing education: The Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2024
- Nursing Pharmacology Course Placement and the Impact on Student Outcomes 2024
- Empowering Nursing Students: Harnessing Self-Care Strategies for Sustainable Practice 2024
- Standardizing Assessment in Competency-Based Education: The Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument 2.0 2024
- Elevating the Practice of Self-Care: Nursing Students Reflections 2024
- Effects of a Summer Nursing Pharmacology Course on Learner Success 2023
- Impact of the Creighton Competency Instruments 2022
- Competency assessment: Balancing rigor with adaptability 2022
- Competency-based assessment using the CCEI and CSEI 2022
- Nurse Faculty Work-Life Balance: Setting Boundaries to Combat Burnout -0001
- Utilizing the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI) as a Real-time Method of Online Peer-Evaluation in the Simulation Setting (poster 16) -0001
- Supporting Transition to Practice: Preceptor Behaviors that Foster a Positive Preceptorship Experience (poster 21) -0001
- The Innovative Use of Augmented Reality in the College of Nursing (poster 22) -0001
- Meeting the Needs of Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Integrating Skills into the Clinical Coursework (poster 14) -0001
Awards
- Nebraska AWHONN Nurse of Year
Association of Women's Health Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses - Postitive Image of Nursing
Nebraska Nurses Association