Kristen M. Swanson

Professor Kristen M. Swanson, RN, PhD, FAAN, is dean of the College of Nursing at Seattle University. Her research ranges from phenomenological descriptions to randomized controlled trials and focuses on caring, responses to pregnancy loss, and interventions to promote healing after miscarriage. The Swanson Caring Theory has been used to guide practice, education, and research in schools and health-care settings around the world. She was the first Virginia Mason Medical Center Distinguished Nurse Scholar and the first University of Washington Medical Center Professor in Nursing Leadership. She consults internationally on strategies to create and sustain a culture of safety, caring, and leadership. Former academic nursing administrative positions include Dean of Nursing, UNC Chapel Hill and Chair, Family and Child Nursing at the University of Washington.

In addition to serving as chair of the Board of Directors of Swedish Health Systems, she is a member of the Seattle University Youth Initiative Advisory Board, the Hope Heart Education and Research Advisory Committee, and the Seattle Children’s Nursing Research Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing was previously a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London. She is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program, an advanced leadership initiative for nurses in senior executive roles who aspire to lead and shape the future of the U.S. health care system.