UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Jennifer Cera, DNP, APRN-NP, WHNP-BC, FAUNA

Clinical Associate Professor, UNMC College of Nursing

402-559-2717

Jennifer Cera, DNP, APRN-NP, WHNP-BC, FAUNA
Dr. Cera is a Clinical Associate Professor and Co-Coordinator of the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She practices as a Women’s Health Nurse practitioner with a focus in the field of Urogynecology at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned her MSN as a Women’s Health nurse practitioner in 2004 and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2017, both from UNMC College of Nursing.

In her roles, Dr. Cera actively engages in practice, teaching, research, and healthcare innovation. Along with staff at iEXCEL, she spearheaded the development of a 3D-Virtual Reality Pelvic model, providing tailored educational content for students and patients. This 3D-VR pelvic model has been incorporated into interprofessional healthcare curriculum, utilized by graduate nursing, medical urology, and obstetrical/gynecology students, and has guided two research studies evaluating 3-D VR teaching technologies. For the development of this model, she has received UneMed Research Innovation Award and the iEXCEL Academic Innovation Award in 2022, and the BioImages 2023 Merit Award from the BioCommunications International Association.

Dr. Cera leads the simulation curriculum in the Women’s Health program, facilitating student’s clinical skill development and competency utilizing patient scenarios with standardized patients, as well as hands-on skills and procedures. She also provides didactic and clinical curriculum for women’s primary, acute and chronic healthcare.

Recently, Dr. Cera was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Urologic Nurses and Associates. She has been an invited presenter at the regional and national levels for the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN), SUNA, AUGS, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS). She has been an invited national expert consultant for various evidence-based guideline white papers, professional panels, and clinical advisory boards.
  • 1992, BSN, Clarkson College
  • 2004, MSN, UNMC
  • 2017, DNP, UNMC
  • Implementing Nurse Practitioner-led Delivery Model for Continence Care within Community Fitness Facilities
  • Evaluating Efficacy of a 3-D Virtual Reality Pelvic Model in Providing Patient and Student Education of Pelvic Health
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Emphysema
  • Reduced-dose onabotuLinumtoxin A for urgency Incontinence Among Older Females (RELIEF): A randomized comparative effectiveness trial with embedded qualitative and costing analysis.
  • Urogynecology and the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor disorders
  • Home Pelvic Floor Stimulation versus Office-Assisted Biofeedback and Electrical Stimulation
  • Associated Risks for Postpartum Urinary Incontinence
  • Dose Escalation Study with Tolterodine in Patients with Overactive Bladder
  • 2024 Title: Reduced-dose onabotuLinumtoxinA for urgency Incontinence among Older Females (RELIEF): A randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial with embedded qualitative and costing analyses.
  • July 2023-June 2024 Source: Research Pilot Award, Award Amount: $25,000, Role: Cera, J (P.I.)
  • 2013-2026 Title: Pelvic Organ Prolapse & Emphysema, Award Amount: $25,000, Role: Cera, J. (P.I.)
  • 2019-2022 Title: Implementing a Nurse Practitioner-Led Delivery Model for Continence Care Within Community Fitness Facilities, Award Amount: $26,000, Role: Cera, J. (P.I.)
  • 2019-2021 Title: 3D-Virtual Reality Pelvic Anatomy Model for Immersive Clinical Simulation, Award Amount: $10,000, Role: Cera, J. (P.I.)
  • Cera, J. & Twiss, J. J. (2018). Focused integrative review of current continence care and prevention strategies: Expanding the role of the nurse practitioner. Urologic Nursing Journal, 38(4), 169-176, 193. https://doi.org/10.7257/1053-816X.2018.38.4.169.
  • Cera, J., Twiss, J. J., Struwe, L. (2019). Implementing a nurse practitioner-led delivery model for continence care within community fitness facilities. Urologic Nursing Journal, 39(1), 17-27, https://doi.org/10.7257/1053-816X.2019.39.1.17.
  • Cera, J., Schlittenhardt, M., Hull, A., & Quallich, S.A. (2021). Defining the role of the urogynecology nurse practitioner: A call to contemporary distinction through sub-specialty certification. Urologic Nursing, 41(3), 141-152. https://doi.org/10.7257/1053- 816X.2021.41.3.141.
  • Cera, J., (2022). Enhancing student and patient education: development of a 3D virtual reality pelvic model with emphasis on pelvic organ prolapse. Urologic Nursing, 42(2); 61-62. https://doi.org/10.7257/2168-4626.2022.42.2.
  • Mayberger, J., Cera, J., Rowland, S., Struwe, L., Barnason, S. (2022). Implementation of the Maternal Fetal Triage Index to improve obstetric triage. Nursing for Women’s Health, (26)4; 269-277. https://doi:10.1016/j.nwh.2022.05.008.
  • Cera, J., (2023). Certificate or certification? Is there really a difference? Urologic Nursing, 43(2),59. https://doi.org/10.7257/2168-4626.2023.43.2.59.
  • Magdaleno, C., Cera, J., Struwe, L. & Blanchard, E. (2023). The development and implementation of a forensic education module for Nebraska critical access providers: A pilot study. Journal of Forensic Nursing. Dec 27. https://doi:10.1097/JFN.0000000000000468
  • Cera, J. (2024). Progress towards urogynecology certification – digital badging or micro-credentials may provide a step forward. Urologic Nursing Journal.
  • Kotcherlakota, S., Mollard, E., Kupzyk, K. & Cera, J. (2024). Exploring objective simulation competency assessment experience E-Learning module analytics: A mixed methods study to improve nursing faculty feedback. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 42(12):p.862-871, December 2024. doi:10.1097/CIN0000000000001164.
  • 2024-Present. Assistant Dean, Lincoln Division, University of Nebraska College of Nursing. Search Committee Member.
  • 2023-Present. Nebraska Rural Health Association. Member.
  • 2023-Present. Nebraska Center for Women’s Health Research. Member.
  • 2021-2024. American Urogynecology Society. Membership Committee Member.
  • 2020-Present. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. Academic Program Leader.
  • 2020-Present. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Member.
  • 2020-Present. Midwest Nursing Research Society. Member.
  • 2019-Present. Urologic Nursing Journal. Editorial Board Member.
  • Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at the Olson Center for Women's Health, Nebraska Medicine.
  • Provides ongoing management of pelvic floor disorders with rehabilitation to include office biofeedback and electrical stimulation, pessary care, medications, sacral nerve neuromodulation programming and recurrent urinary tract infections.
  • Performs and interprets multi-channel urodynamic investigations.
  • Society of Urologic Nurses & Associates - Leader, Advanced Practice Special Interest Group.
  • American Urogynecologic Society - Member.
  • Fostering the Future - Faculty Advisor, Community Engagement Committee.
  • College of Nursing Faculty Practice Committee - Board Member.
  • NE Medicine Nursing Executive Council - Board Member.
  • 2024, Faculty Daisy Award from DNP Student, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • 2024, Academy of Urologic Nurses and Associates (FAUNA), Society of Urologic Nurses & Associates.
  • 2024, BioImages Annual Merit Award - Multimedia, Interactive Learning and Website Division, BioCommunications International Association.
  • 2023, Ada M. Lindsey Professional Service Award Nominee, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • 2023, Spotlight on Scholarship –Outstanding Emerging Scholar Presentation “Enhancing Patient Education with Innovative 3D-Virtual Reality Pelvic Model” - Doctoral Advisor of Taylor Hedgecock, BSN-DNP, Honorable Mention, Interprofessional Academy of Educators (IAE), University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • 2022, Dean’s 2022 MNRS (Midwest Nursing Research Society) Travel Award for Doctoral Students – “The Development and Implementation of a Forensic Education Module for Nebraska Critical Access Providers: A Pilot Study”, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing.
  • 2022, iEXCEL Academic Innovation Award, Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Simulation, iEXCEL, Academic Affairs, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • 2022, UneMed Research Innovation Award – New Invention: Three-Dimensional Virtual Reality Pelvic Model with Emphasis on Dynamic Pelvic Pathology, UNeMed Corporation, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • 2021, Interprofessional Academy of Educators Voted in Member, Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & the Interprofessional Academy of Educators (IAE).
  • 2021, International Academy of Nursing Editors, 2021 Representative Journal Article for Urologic Nursing “Defining the role of the urogynecology nurse practitioner: A call to contemporary distinction through sub-specialty certification.”, Urologic Nursing Journal, Society of Urologic Nurses & Associates