Dr. Najjar is an associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing, teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs. Dr. Najjar’s research and scholarship focus on bias, discrimination, and equitable and inclusive practices in healthcare education. She is a 2022 AACN Diversity Institute Leadership Fellow and has served on the Western Institute of Nursing Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee since its inception.

Dr. Najjar was the Project Manager and the Monmouth Campus Faculty Coordinator for the second OHSU HRSA-funded Nursing Workforce Diversity grant, Advancing Health Equity through Student Empowerment & Professional Success (HealthE STEPS) 2.0. As part of the HealthE STEPS, Dr. Najjar implemented several statewide strategies to enhance students' experience in nursing school. Currently, Dr. Najjar is the principal investigator for a mixed-methods study examining applicants’ experiences during the admission process. This work will elucidate the impact of bias experienced by applicants, including their decision to matriculate and their initial experience in the nursing program.

Dr. Najjar has developed an online platform to engage educators interested in Trauma-Informed Educational Practice (TIEP) and is leading a collaborative at OHSU to design, implement, and evaluate faculty/staff training on TIEP. She has published and presented at regional, national, and international conferences on nursing education, workforce diversity, bias, and TIEP. Dr. Najjar has led book clubs and other initiatives with various nursing academic institutions to raise awareness of the impact of inequities on nursing education and build a community of trauma-informed educators.