Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
-Nelson Mandela
Honoring the past
HONORING THE PAST
I hold the belief that I’m a product of all of the teachers that I’ve encountered in my life. From the small catholic school that embraced me during some of the most difficult moments in my life, to the field hockey coach that ran every mile with our team, to my doctoral chairperson who taught me “done is better than perfect,” when perfectionism tried to get the best of me. I am a culmination of their lessons both inside and outside of the classroom, not only by instructing me through content, but fostering my ability to think independently, encouraging me to challenge the status quo, and demonstrating how to lead with integrity and through example.
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My passion for education sparked early in my career. Initially, while orienting new nursing graduates and later, by mentoring undergraduate nurses through their psychiatric clinical rotations. Soon after completing my doctoral studies, I was appointed a full-time assistant professor of nursing; teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing students. I feel strongly that teaching is a way to honor those who fought for the basic right of every person to have an education, and to uphold the integrity of the nursing profession.
ENGAGING THE PRESENT
Engaging the present
My expertise lies in programmatic and curriculum design. I design courses and curriculum built upon the latest evidence-based pedagogies and integrate the essential and core competencies of the governing bodies. However, curriculum is only as effective as the educators disseminating it and the students discerning it. Powerful programmatic design takes these variables into account; simplifying content so as to make it easily digestible for educators and students alike, while still remaining comprehensive and meeting objectives.
Ready or not: our education system is changing. I am a strong proponent of leveraging advances in technology and adapting practices based on new discoveries in understanding how our students learn–literally and figuratively flipping the classroom on its head. In my time as an educator, I’ve employed practices such as flipping classroom roles, integrating relevant case-studies, concept and mind mapping, and game applications like Kahoot.
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COVID-19 posed obstacles and challenges that we could have never anticipated, leaving healthcare and education among some of the most vulnerable fields. However, with hardship comes opportunity. Lack of in-person access to the classroom and hospital forced us to completely reimagine effective and engaging content delivery. As a result, we developed a once-siloed curriculum to a curriculum that intertwined didactic, simulation, and clinical components, ensuring that all students experienced the essential elements of psychiatric nursing while still allowing for unique experiences on hospital units. In the master’s arena, I have experience teaching pathophysiology, psychopharmacology, and practicum in the role of a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a three-semester course that culminates in the final year of studies for PMHNP students.
Inspiring the future
inspiring the future
Mentoring students and faculty brings me immense joy. Just as we are preparing our students as leaders of the next generation, so are we preparing novice educators to inspire and inform the future of education. I approach my next chapter in the classroom with an open heart and open mind, eager to diversify student populations and schools of education.
Testimonial
“Her calm professionalism, flexibility for change, and consistency in her teaching technique proved as a model for the educator I strive to become. Kate allowed me the opportunity to not only learn from her, but to practice my own skills in teaching our students. Having someone who made me confident in my own abilities, while also guided me to improve my teaching, has shown me what a true educator and mentor are.”