
I am Dr. Linda Caputi and have contributed to nursing education for over 40 years. In addition to consulting across those 40 years, 35 years of that time was spent directly teaching nursing students in a variety of nursing programs including LPN, ADN, BSN, and MSN in Nursing Education. I am credentialed as a Certified Nurse Educator and a member of National League for Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau. I was inducted into the NLN’s Academy of Nursing Education in 2010.
I earned a Masters in Nursing Education from Loyola University, Chicago and a Doctor of Education from Northern Illinois University. A large part of my graduate studies focused on designing quality learning experiences which included taking on the very elusive topic of teaching nursing students how to “Think Like a Nurse.” The work to develop a solid approach for learning clinical judgment spanned across 2 decades culminating in 2001 with the rudimentary version of the current Caputi Clinical Judgment Framework. Since that time the Caputi Clinical Judgment Framework has matured to its current version which is offered in the nursing student textbook Think Like a Nurse: The Caputi Method for Learning Clinical Judgment.
Publishing
I have a publication history that spans over 30 years and continues through today:
Computer-based Learning
- From 1985 through 2005, I developed and published some of the first software programs for nursing education offering tutorials, drill and practice programs, case studies, and multi-media programs.
- In 1988 I published the first electronic medical record used in nursing education titled TLC Medical Center.
- My latest publication (for release in 2022) is an online clinical judgment course that accompanies the student textbook Think Like a Nurse: The Caputi Method for Learning Clinical Judgment.
Book Chapters, Editorials, and Journal Articles
- Invited to contribute to an array of book chapters, journal editorials, and journal articles. All are listed in my CV accessible below.
Books
- Think Like a Nurse: The Caputi Method for Learning Clinical Judgment (2022)
- Think Like a Nurse: A Handbook (2018 and 2020)
- Edited the NLN’s Certified Nurse Educator Review Book (1st edition [2014] and 2nd edition [2020]) and wrote a chapter for the book.
- Co-authored with Dr. Jean Giddens Mastering Concept-based Teaching (1st edition [2015] and 2nd edition [2020])
- Edited and wrote chapters for the 3-volume series of Teaching Nursing: The Art and Science (2010 first place winner from the Journal of Nursing Education)
- Edited 5 additional books published by the National League for Nursing
Online Courses
- Online Clinical Judgment Course
- Wrote NLN’s online CNE Review Course offered through the National League for Nursing.
Consulting
During my long career in nursing education, I have worked with over a thousand nursing programs on various topics including:
- Teaching Students Clinical Judgment
- Increasing NCLEX Pass Rates
- Improving Student Retention
- Curriculum Development/Revision
- The Concept-Based Curriculum
- Test Development
- Test Item Writing
- Nursing Education Accreditation
- A New Approach to Clinical Education
- And many others
I have developed curriculum for Practical Nursing, Associate Degree Nursing, Baccalaureate Nursing, RN-to-BSN, LPN-to-BSN, and Masters in Nursing Education programs. Click here to review my current offerings.

Conference Presentations
I have presented at over a thousand workshops and conferences delivering both keynote addresses and various “breakout” sessions on multiple topics.
Other Professional Activities
- I am a member of the National League for Nursing. I served for 10 years as the editor of the Innovation Center column in the NLN’s journal Nursing Education Perspectives, served a 3-year term on the Board of Governors, and also served on many NLN task forces including the Think Tank for Transforming Clinical Education, the NLN’s High-Stakes Testing Task Force, Nursing Education Research and Advisory Council, and the Electronic Repository Task Force. I also was invited to present at various NLN Summits.
- I am a member of Sigma Thea Tau and have won 5 awards for educational excellence from Sigma Thea Tau.
Curriculum Vitae
Please review my CV for a detailed list of publications and awards I have received over my career.