Nancy comes to Nazarbayev University with rich international education and leadership experiences by way of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She began her teaching career as the first Liver Transplant ICU Nurse Educator in 1987 and would progress to the role of Advanced Clinical Education Specialist, responsible for all aspects or orientation and continuing education for newly graduated and experienced nurses employed at UPMC.  She is responsible for co-founding and launching the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS) in 1992 – a professional nursing education that provides continuing education on all aspects of transplantation, annual international symposia, transplant nursing research funding, transplant patient education, transplant nursing certification, and many opportunities for professional growth and development for transplant nurses and other professionals in the transplant field.  Internationally, Nancy spent seven years working in Palermo, Italy assisting in the development and start-up of the UPMC-Italy transplant hospital. She is ANPD board-certified as a Nursing Professional Development Specialist (Association for Nursing in Professional Development).

Career Highlights (UPMC 1980-2017)

• 1980 – Clinical nursing on the medical-surgical/transplant floor (2 years) and ICU (5 years)
• 1987 – Transplant ICU Nurse Educator; Department of Nursing Education
• 1992 – Co-founder of the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS; www.itns.org)
• 1992-1995 – ITNS First President and President Emeritus
• 2008-2011 – ITNS Golden Triangle Chapter (Pittsburgh, PA) – President-Elect, President, President Emeritus
• 2014-2017 ITNS President-Elect, President, President Emeritus
• 1994 – Designed and implemented the International Nurse Exchange Program between UPMC and Uppsala University Hospital (Sweden)
• 1998 – 2006 – Director of Nursing Education and Research; UPMC-Italy/ISMETT – Palermo, Italy  (ISMETT – Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazone): Designed/implemented clinical nurse training program for Italian nurses; directly involved with all aspects of program and committee development in building a new transplant hospital
• 2010 – Critical Care Nurse Educator Consultant; Bokamoso Private Hospital – Gaborone, Botswana: Designed/implemented Critical Care Training Program for new hospital opening
• 2012 – Advanced Clinical Education Specialist; Department of Nursing Education and Research

• Co-Chair; Nursing Policy and Procedures Committee UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital
• UPMC Evidence Based Practice Council
• 2016 – Professional Development Program (PDP) Faculty at Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (September-October, 2016)
• Extensive local, national, and international presentations at nursing symposia (primarily podium)
• Consultant for several international Transplant Nursing Education initiatives, including the International Transplant Network (Ankara, Turkey), the SISQT (Italian Society for Safety and Quality in Transplantation), and The Transplantation Society (TTS) Education Committee.

Certifications and Professional Memberships

• ANPD Board –certification: Professional Nurse Development Specialist (2016)
• BLS and ACLS Instructor/Instructor-Trainer through American Heart Association
• Membership in professional nursing and physician organizations includes: ITNS, The Transplantation Society, American Heart Association, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Association for Nursing in Professional Development, Transcultural Nursing Society, International Nurses Society

Honors and awards 

• ANPD Board –certification: Professional Nurse Development Specialist (2016)
• BLS and ACLS Instructor/Instructor-Trainer through American Heart Association
• Membership in professional nursing and physician organizations includes: ITNS, The Transplantation Society, American Heart Association, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Association for Nursing in Professional Development, Transcultural Nursing Society, International Nurses Society

Education

• 1979 Bachelor of Science, Nursing; Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA)
• Current:  Completing two Master’s degrees
• Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) – Master in Public Management
• Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) – Master of Science in Global and International Education where her international research is on comparative nursing education, and a secondary concentration of Emerging Technologies in Higher Education

Research and education interests 

• International comparative nursing education
• Internationally educated nurses and barriers to success
• Implementing evidence based practice at the clinical level
• Development of clinical competence in nursing
• Cultural competence development in healthcare professionals
• Transplantation and Medication Compliance
• Regenerative medicine and organ transplantation
• Emerging Technologies in Higher Education

Stitt, N. (2016). Inspiring the Unlicensed Assistant Personnel (UAP): Development of a Residency Program for UAP Retention. Association for Nursing Professional Development Conference Proceedings, July 2016.
Stitt, N. (2014). Transplant Technology: Growing Organs Using Stem Cells AND Regenerative Medicine. International Transplant Nurses Society Publications and Recordings, September 2014. Chicago, IL: ITNS On-Line.
Stitt N.L., Barone M.A., Castellese M., Giammona S., Scianna G., Ziino M., Cupples S. (2008). Transplant complications: Noninfectious disease. In L. Ohler & S. Cupples (Eds.), Core Curriculum for Transplant Nurses, 1st ed. (pp 201-266). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Publishing.
Stitt, N. (2002). Infections in Transplantation. In Smith, S.L., editor. Solid Organ Transplantation, Medscape.
Stitt, N. (1996). Chimerism in transplantation. In B. A. Williams & D. M Sandiford-Guttenbiel, (Eds.), Trends in Organ Transplantation, (pp 73-82). New York, NY: Springer.