Dr. Kristen Shear is a nurse scientist with more than 20 years of nursing experience. She is the chief of the Center for Nursing Science and Clinical Inquiry at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. She holds a PhD degree from the University of Florida and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin. Her work is focused on prevention and well-being. She is co-chair 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.