Lisa Vaira began her nursing career in 2005, earning her BSN from Montana State University. After graduation, Lisa moved to Hawaii and landed her first RN role in the Medical-Surgical unit of a small community hospital. Around this same time, Lisa became a military spouse, which would lead to nursing roles in a variety of specialties and in settings around the world, including Spain, Germany, and South Korea. With patient-care experience ranging from critical care to school nursing, Lisa’s broad knowledge base and adaptability transferred well to her transition into nursing education.
Graduating with an MSN in Nursing Education from Gonzaga University in 2016, Lisa dove into nursing education with a passion for simulation and community health. While living in Germany, Lisa created a role for a Nurse Educator consultant at the Ramstein Simulation Center and assisted in planning simulation activities for all healthcare-related career fields. Lisa’s love of simulation led her to develop virtual patients for an online nursing resource and lead students in foundational as well as community-based scenarios. Lisa was a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator from 2021 to 2024 and has maintained her credential as a Certified Nurse Educator since 2017.
Drawing on experiences in healthcare from multiple cultures and locations, Lisa has been instrumental in developing learning activities for community health nursing courses to enhance cultural and global health insights. She values the science and scholarship of nursing and has contributed to advancing nursing knowledge by editing multiple nursing textbooks. Lisa is also passionate about supporting first-generation students and empowering all students to be leaders in their community.
Upon the retirement of her husband from the Air Force in the summer of 2025, Lisa, her husband, and two kids made their final relocation to Boise. The whole family is excited to hike, ski, kayak, camp, explore, and experience the many events, restaurants, and people that make Boise a wonderful place to live.
Contact Information
Email: lisavaira@boisestate.edu