Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Sandy Brannan

PhD

Dr. Brannan graduated from a diploma program in 1970 in Amarillo, Texas. In the late 1970’s she obtained BSN from UTMB in Galveston, Texas. After moving to Houston, Texas she received a MSN from the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Sandy enjoyed several years in critical care, the Emergency Department, and Nursing Management and Leadership. After accepting a CNO job in Beaumont, Texas she met her husband and they have one son. While in Beaumont, Sandy taught several years at Lamar University while pursuing a PhD in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University in Houston. In 2015 she became the Director of the Nursing Programs at Galveston College. Sandy enjoys traveling, reading, and visiting friends and family.

Mariesa R. Severson

RN, MSN-WHNP, ICCE

Mariesa has been a nurse for over 30 years and a happily married mother of 3. She received her BSN degree at Arizona State University in 1986. She began her career as an RN in hospital-based, acute care nursing in the specialties of Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, Neonatal, Gynecology, Surgical and OB Patient Education. In 1996 She completed her MSN Degree at ASU, becoming a state board certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-WHNP) and served in a Large OB/GYN Private practice. She relocated to Charlotte North Carolina in 2000, as an OB Nurse Educator for the largest Healthcare System in North Carolina, and completed her certification as an International Childbirth Educator (ICCE) with the International Childbirth Education Association. In 2008, she accepted a position in the Nashville, TN metro area where she began her career as a Full time Nursing Professor at a large State University serving as both lecturer and Clinical Coordinator for the OB and Women’s Health Care program. She created and developed a new, innovative, and highly successful OB program which included high fidelity simulation labs utilizing some of the most state of the art advanced technologies available in Nursing Education. For the last 3 years she has served at a Private University as Lecturer and Online instructor where she remains an adjunct professor. She enjoys public speaking as well as writing and publishing. Her special interests include program planning, evidence-based practice and cultural competence. She has participated as a representative and developer of the Swift River Virtual Clinical software, serving on the Swift River Advisory Board for the last 5 years as well as a member of the Advisory Board of Directors.

Dr. Karen Ferguson

BSN, RNC (Inpatient OB), MSN, CNS, PhD

Karen has been a nurse educator for 26 years with her specialty is in OB and Pediatrics. Currently she teaches OB didactic and clinical. Her experience is working in inpatient L and D, High Risk OB, High Risk OB home health, mother baby, and NICU. She has completed several reviews of textbooks for OB and Pediatrics, as well as written and edited questions for major publishing companies for textbook publication.