Associate Professor
Nursing
Contact
Sara Elizabeth Banzhaf, DNP, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC
Associate Professor
Nursing
Sara E. Banzhaf, DNP, MSN, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC, FNAP is an Associate Professor and Track Leader for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at Creighton University. She also practices as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner in an interprofessional safety-net clinic. Together, these roles reflect her commitment to integrating clinical practice, education, and leadership to foster authentic, inclusive, and empowering connections in healthcare.
Dr. Banzhaf’s professional practice, teaching, research, and scholarship center on advancing access to high-quality, evidence-based psychiatric-mental health services. Her work emphasizes the value of comprehensive, integrated, and interprofessional approaches to care. She is actively engaged in mentoring, advocacy, and leading scholarly initiatives focused on improving psychiatric-mental health interventions, advancing interprofessional assessment, developing innovative strategies to strengthen the workforce, and promoting reflective practice and interprofessional Stress First Aid training.
Dr. Banzhaf is an active member of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Practice (Nursing Academy). Additionally, she serves as Co-Site Director for the Soto Scholars partnership with Ibero University in Tijuana, Mexico.
Teaching Interests
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Research Focus
Innovative strategies promoting quality interprofessional psychiatric-mental health practice and educationIntegrated Psychiatric-Mental Health Care, and promotion of the role of the PMHNP
Workforce Development - Psychiatric-Mental Health
Department
Nursing - Doctorate
Position
Associate Professor
Publications
- Creighton Journal of Collaborative Practice and Education
Banzhaf Sara, Walker Trina, Meyer Vanicek Katherine, Price Paul, Patterson Angela, Bergjord Judith, VANCE OGHENETEGA (Tega), Brockman Hannah, From Community Voice to Clinical Practice: Developing an Interprofessional Mental Health Assessment Tool Through Community-Based Participatory Research
3:1 2026 - Creighton Journal of Collaborative Practice and Education
Jizba Theresa, Banzhaf Sara, Iverson Lindsay, Thinnes Andrea, Price Paul, Bridging the Gap from Education to Practice: Interprofessional Simulation Incorporating Diverse and Vulnerable Populations
1:1, p. 1 - 11 2023 - Health, Interprofessional Practice and Education
Hadenfeldt Cindy Jean, Jessen Jennifer Lynn, Banzhaf Sara, Martens-Stricklett Kate, Naylor Heather M, Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for Interprofessional Health Education
4:1, p. 2131 - 2131 2020 - Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Banzhaf Sara E., Kunes-Connell Mary, A Qualitative Inquiry Addressing the Experience of Depression in Impoverished Ethnically Diverse Women: Implications for Developing a Community-Based Model
25:2, p. 99 - 111 2019 - 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
Presentations
- Implementing Interprofessional Stress First Aid Training for Healthcare Worker Wellbeing 2026
- Community-engaged development of an interprofessional psychiatric-mental health intake assessment tool for urban safety net clinic 2025
- Synthesizing professional tools: An integrated interprofessional psychiatric-mental health assessment 2025
- Synthesizing Professional Tools: An Integrated Interprofessional Psychiatric-Mental Health Assessment 2025
- Stress First Aid: Enhancing Professional Adapting Strategies 2024
- The Intentional Integration of Spirituality into an Accelerated Nursing Curriculum (poster 18) -0001
Awards
- Teaching Excellence Award for Graduate Nursing Class
Selected by the Graduate Nursing Class of May 2022 for Teaching Excellence.
Creighton University College of Nursing - The Daisy Faculty Award
The Daisy Faculty Award - "To honor your exceptional impact on your students and your inspirational influence on their future"
Creighton University College of Nursing - Iggy Award (2)
Identified by Freshman student following first semester of college acknowledging contributions leading to their success during their first semester at Creighton University
Office of Retention - Iggy Award (1)
Identified by Freshman student following first semester of college acknowledging contributions leading to their success during their first semester at Creighton University
Office of Retention - Creighton University College of Nursing Teaching Excellence Award for Classroom Instruction
Recognition of valuable contributions to Clinical Instruction
Graduating Class of December 2015 at Pinning Ceremony - Creighton University College of Nursing Teaching Excellence Award for Clinical Instruction
Recogniation of valuable contributions to Classroom Instruction
Graduating Accelerated Class August 2015