Dr. Kristen Shear is a nurse scientist in the US Army. She has more than 18 years of nursing experience. She holds a PhD degree from the University of Florida and a master of science degree in nursing administration from The University of Texas at Austin. Her work is focused on prevention and well-being. She is a member of the AAACN inaugural research committee and the federal tools and scales work group. Her current work includes projects related to primary care competencies, use of facility dogs to improve staff well-being, virtual simulation in nursing education, and child abuse screening tools.