Dawna L. Cato PhD., RN, NPD-BC currently serves as the Director of the Nurse Residency Program at OpusVi a Healthcare Workforce Solutions Company. Dawna has 28 years of nursing experience in the U.S. with 3 years in China. Dr. Cato obtained her Ph.D., specializing in Nursing Education from Capella University in 2013. In 2009, she received her Master’s in Nursing Science, specializing in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University. In addition, Dr. Cato holds a Board Certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Dr. Cato has implemented best-practice nursing academic and workforce development programs at local, national, and international levels. These include the development and implementation of Nurse Residency Programs, Perioperative Specialty Fellowship Programs, Cardiovascular Specialty Fellowship Programs, and preceptor training for physicians and nurses as well as curriculum design and development for pre-licensure and graduate nursing programs. In 2019, she launched the United States (U.S.) Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Immersion Program in collaboration with U.S.-based hospitals in Arizona and GuoLong Hospital in Yinchuan China. She also facilitated the design, implementation, and evaluation of a 600-bed hospital-wide initiative to onboard 700 employees using interdisciplinary simulation scenarios. She has facilitated frontline leadership workshops and China’s participation in an International Nurse Job Satisfaction Study. Dr. Cato served on the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation from 2013-2022 and was a key contributor to the 2024 Practice Transition Accreditation Standards. Dr. Cato is nationally and internationally published and a recognized nurse leader in both practice and academic education arenas.