Kim Crawford, PhD, MPH, APRN, FNP-C is an Assistant Manager at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, USA.
With over 27 years of nursing experience, Dr. Crawford began her career in a Level 1 Pediatric Emergency Department in Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked for 12 years. It was during this time that she recognized the importance of preventive care and public health - realizing that many of the issues treated in the emergency department could not be resolved solely within that setting.
Motivated to address healthcare challenges upstream, Dr. Crawford pursued advanced degrees in Global Public Health and as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Shortly after graduating, she discovered a passion for clinical instruction and was invited to serve as the International Nursing Director for a $2 million USAID grant in the country of Georgia.
During her two-year tenure with the grant, she trained 18 local nurse educators through an intensive three-month nurse retraining program and developed the country's first clinical training program for nurses. These educators went on to train approximately 2,500 nurses-representing about 10% of Georgia's nursing workforce-in a comprehensive one-month continuing education course with clinical components.
Following her work with USAID, Dr. Crawford joined a private university in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she played a pivotal role in launching the country's first baccalaureate nursing degree program. She implemented hybrid clinical rotations beginning in students' second year and incorporated graduates of the USAID project into the academic and clinical faculty. Throughout her nearly seven years in Georgia, Dr. Crawford championed the development of nursing education and worked tirelessly to shift cultural perceptions of nursing from a stigmatized profession to one of skill, intelligence, and autonomy. Notably, the first graduates of the new nursing program were international students from Africa.
Dr. Crawford's passion for nursing leadership and international health grew during her time abroad. She became a frequent speaker at conferences across Eastern Europe and internationally, advocating for nurse empowerment and the vital role of nurse-led leadership. Upon returning to the United States in 2016, she began her PhD in Nursing and continues to work with both undergraduate and graduate nursing students, mentoring the next generation of nurse leaders.
Dr. Crawford is particularly passionate about collaborating with international nurses to promote the nursing profession on a global scale. She was introduced to the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing (ALSN) by her colleague, Dr. Laura Caramanica, and quickly felt a strong connection to the organization. A member for just over a year, she is committed to engaging in research, mentoring nurses and students, and fostering a culture of compassion and excellence.
Three things new members should know about ALSN:
- The level of passion and energy to make a difference in our profession is truly inspiring in this organization.
- There is a place for everyone, with abundant opportunities to network, grow, and lead.
- A quote that embodies this organization. "Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses ... we must be learning all of our lives." - Florence Nightingale
If you would like to connect with nurse leaders like Dr. Crawford and be part of this community, learn more about ALSN membership at: ALSN.info/Join-Us
