A scaffolded, healthcare-focused learning experience that makes complex concepts approachable.
Finally—a microbiology book that’s doing something different
A fit for any instructor who is tired of books with “too much stuff” and not enough built-in flexibility, Heather Seitz’s Essential Microbiology for Healthcare was created from 20+ years of teaching microbiology to students seeking careers in public health or healthcare. Reviewed by an advisory board of nursing and microbiology instructors, every aspect of this First Edition is built to be practical, highly applied, and focused on what matters in healthcare.
Short, digestible sections that students will actually read
Organized by short Study Units centered around essential concepts, Heather’s book teaches students how to study effectively. Clear Learning Goals are the organizational element of each Study Unit to help students break down the reading into manageable parts.
A scaffold informed by Heather’s learning science research
In each Study Unit, students interact with a consistent learning scaffold: Engage connects concepts to students’ prior knowledge and lived experiences, Explore deepens understanding through dynamic content including animated figures and interactives, and Elaborate reinforces key takeaways while linking learning to real-world healthcare.
Modeling effective science communication skills
By connecting microbiology to everyday life, students not only learn more effectively—they also develop empathy for future patients by recognizing that illness and navigating healthcare are universal human experiences. Heather’s writing models the kinds of clear communication about clinical relevance that students can expect to use in patient care.
Heather Seitz
Johnson County Community College
Heather Seitz has over 20 years of experience teaching in the community college classroom. As a first-generation college student, she graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in biology and biochemistry and then completed her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her education research focus is on online learning assessment and engaging nontraditional students. In 2017, she led a team through the creation of a validated Microbiology for Health Sciences Concept Inventory, which is used nationally to measure expert thinking in microbiology focused on health science students.
Dr. Seitz is involved in many projects affecting change in undergraduate life sciences education and has engaged educators in developing and implementing best practices. She serves as an editor for the Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education and continually seeks to promote evidence-based, high-impact teaching practices in her writing and her classroom.
Hear from Heather about what makes her book different
Meet the Advisory Board
Each chapter of Essential Microbiology for Healthcare has been thoroughly reviewed by a Nursing and Microbiology Advisory Board member. This is an ongoing initiative to inform the efficacy and content of Heather’s text.
Below, you can meet a few members of the board and learn what excites them most about this project!
Aimee Younkin, PhD, MSN, RN
Director of Online Nursing Education at Allegany College of Maryland
Years of Teaching Experience: 20
Lori Shank, DNP, MSN, RN, CPN
Program Director, Registered Nursing at Johnson County Community College
Years of Teaching Experience: 10
Debra VanHouten
Life Science Instructor at Chemeketa Community College
Years of Teaching Experience: 24
What are students saying?
We asked students from three universities to read and reflect on a Study Unit in Heather’s book.
Students rated the Study Unit:
for clarity
for effectiveness
Meet Your Marketing Manager: Courtney Zanosky
Hi! I’m Courtney. I’m in my eighth year with Norton, and I am endlessly fueled by connecting instructors with the perfect resources for their unique courses.
When I'm not doing that, you can find me exploring Western Colorado, running, going to a yoga class, reading memoirs, daydreaming, writing on Substack, or FaceTiming my niece and nephew.
I can't wait to chat with you and all the cool things you're doing in your classes! Feel free to respond and say "Hi!" when you see my name in your inbox this year.
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