Background

Dr. Armstrong earned her BSN and MSN (Advanced Clinical Specialist in Women’s & Infants’ Health) from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a PhD in Nursing Science from Medical University of South Carolina, while serving as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar (2015 cohort). 

Dr. Armstrong began her nursing career in Northern Virginia, practicing at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Women’s Center, one of the nation’s largest birthing facilities. The diversity of the patient population she worked with instilled in her a passion for health equality and the care of vulnerable populations. After being invited to teach nursing clinicals for her alma mater, George Mason University, Dr. Armstrong discovered her passion for teaching and working with students. Since that time, she has held several academic appointments and finds great joy in teaching and mentoring the next generation of nurses.

Teaching

• NURS 112 - Introduction to Nursing as a Profession
• NURS 311 - Introduction to Health Assessment
• NURS 424 - Maternal Newborn Nursing
• NURS 435 - Senior Nursing Capstone Practicum
• NURS 590 - Special Topics in International Culture & Healthcare
• NURS 716 - Maternal, Newborn, and Pediatric Nursing
• NURS 790 - Research Methods Nursing
• NURS 745 - Nursing Ethics, Policy, and Advocacy

Dr. Armstrong has previously taught courses on culture and diversity, evidence-based practice, community health nursing, leadership and management, and professional issues in nursing.

Research

Dr. Armstrong’s research foci include women’s health, the intersection of human trafficking and health care, utilization of a trauma-informed approach in patient care and in pedagogy, as well as techniques to optimize educational outcomes.

Dissemination

Dr. Armstrong has presented her scholarship at local, state, national, and international conferences, and provided insights on the health care implications of proposed human trafficking legislation to members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Armstrong created a 10-module course, Introduction to Human Trafficking for Health Care Professionals. Through this course, professional presentations, and training sessions, Dr. Armstrong has trained more than 2,500 interprofessional health care personnel on how to identify and appropriately respond to persons who’ve experienced human trafficking, when seeking health care.

Professional Service

Dr. Armstrong is an active member of several professional organizations including:

• Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS)
• HEAL Trafficking
• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
• American Nurses Association
• South Carolina Nurses Association
• Sigma Theta Tau International

She also serves as a manuscript reviewer for several interprofessional and nursing journals.

Professional Practice

Dr. Armstrong’s clinical experience includes practice in the area of Maternal Newborn Nursing.

Research Studies (selected)

Project Title: Using survivors’ voices to guide the identification and care of trafficked persons by U.S. healthcare professionals. Principal Investigator.

Project Title: Preparedness to identify and care for trafficked persons in South Carolina hospitals: A state-wide exploration. Principal Investigator.

Project Title: Instruments to identify commercially sexually exploited children: Feasibility of use in an emergency department setting. Principal Investigator.

Project Title: Childbearing in geographically isolated communities: The Smith Island experience. Co-investigator.

Publications (selected)

Nease, B., Corbett, C., Armstrong, S., & Casey, K. (2026, March). Clinical setting belongingness and development of perceived practice readiness in prelicensure nursing students: A scoping review. Nurse Education Today, 158, 106941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2025.106941 

Nease, B., Corbett, C., Armstrong, S., & Casey, K., Wang, K., Kong, C., (2026, January). Factors influencing senior practicum readiness for nursing practice: A descriptive correlational study. Journal of Nursing Education 65(1), 39-46. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20250926-02

Armstrong, S., & Greenbaum, V. J. (2019, July). Using survivors’ voices to guide the identification and care of trafficked persons by U.S. healthcare professionals: A systematic review. Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal 41(3), 244-260. doi:10.1097/TME.0000000000000257 

Armstrong, S., Greenbaum, V. J., López, C., & Barroso, J. (2019, May). Preparedness to identify and care for trafficked persons in South Carolina hospitals: A state-wide exploration. Journal of Human Trafficking. doi: 10.1080/23322705.2019.1603747

Rothman, E. F., Stoklosa, H., Baldwin, S. B., Chisolm-Straker, M., Kato Price, R., Atkinson, H. G., & Heal Trafficking*. (2017, July). Public health research priorities to address US human trafficking. American Journal of Public Health 107(7), 1045-1047. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303858  

*Acknowledgement: The following HEAL Trafficking committee members contributed to the original concept and writing: Harrison Alter, MD, MS, Stephanie Armstrong, MSN, RN, Danna Basson, PhD, MPP, Vijeta Bhambhani, MS, MPH, Lindsay Gezinski, PhD, Jamie Kynn, MA, MSW, PhuongThao D. Le, PhD, MPH, Kayse Lee Maass, PhD, Ochanya Ogah, Victoria Osasah, MPH, Katherine R. Peeler, MD, Anita Ravi, MD, MPH, MSHP, Preeti Panda, MD, Frances Recknor, DrPH, LCSW, Elizabeth Singer, MD, MPH, Kanani E. Titchen, MD, and Jessica Volz BSN, RN, FNE-A/P.

Davidson, M. R., Armstrong, S. C., & Sampson, M.C. (2017, February). Childbearing in geographically isolated communities: The Smith Island experience.  Journal of Women’s Health, Issues and Care 6(1). doi: 10.4172/2325-9795.1000262 

Armstrong, S. (2017, January). Instruments to identify commercially sexually exploited children: Feasibility of use in an emergency department setting. Pediatric Emergency Care 33(12), 794-799. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001020

Books

Armstrong, S., Davis, C. Ackerly, C., Adams-Mann, D., Albert, S., Al-Ghamadi, S., Al-Zahery, M., Bin-Ali, W., Hoffman, M., Linder, C., McIntosh, L., McKenzie, D., Oye, N., Parker, T., Rauch, A., Seibert, D., Sesay, Y., Shipe, S., Thornsbury, E., & Yancey, M. (2004). Do you know a nurse? George Mason University.